EURO 96 winner Stefan Kuntz was sacked from the board at Bundesliga side Hamburg after allegations of “inappropriate physical contact”.
Kuntz, 63, initially left his position as sporting director on January 2, with a statement from Hamburg stating that he had requested a release from his contract for family reasons.
However, following a report from German outlet Bild detailing allegations made by several Hamburg employees, the club have released a second statement confirming the accusations as “credible” and claiming Kuntz agreed to his dismissal after he declined to take part in investigations into the allegations.
The statement read: “In December 2025, allegations of serious misconduct by Stefan Kuntz were brought to the attention of the supervisory board of HSV Fussballmanagement AG.
“In accordance with its responsibilities, the supervisory board, with the support of specialised external lawyers, immediately initiated an investigation into the incidents upon becoming aware of the allegations.
“After careful examination and the finding that the allegations were credible, the supervisory board promptly decided to seek the quickest possible separation from the board member.
“Due to the explicit request of the individuals concerned, the protection of those affected was, and remains, the highest priority in this separation process.
“Despite repeated offers, Mr. Kuntz explicitly declined the opportunity to comment to the supervisory board.
“Against this background, the allegations of a ‘smear campaign’ against Stefan Kuntz are clearly unfounded and misleading.”
A female Hamburg employee has reportedly alleged “inappropriate physical contact” by Kuntz, who was described by several employees as a “touchy guy”.
Kuntz has denied all allegations against him and released a statement on his Instagram earlier this week.
It read: “I get numerous inquiries because of the current coverage of my persona.
“First of all I would like to say, the accusations are hitting me hard. It’s clear: I strongly reject these allegations!
“On behalf of my family and all those close to me, I asked my lawyers (Kanzlei Schertz Bergmann) to take action against these FALSE accusations and prejudices.”
Kuntz held his role as sporting director at Hamburg since 2024, having previously been manager of the Turkish national side and the Germany U21 side.
The retired striker was an international hero for the German national team, helping them to win Euro 96.
It was in that tournament that Kuntz scored a crucial goal to draw Germany level at 1-1 against England in the semi-final, a match the Germans would ultimately go on to win on penalties.
