Sandro Wagner

Sandro Wagner is the head coach of 2. Bundesliga club Hannover 96, on a contract that runs until 30 June 2028 [3]. Before he moved into management, he was a German international who earned eight caps and scored five goals in 2017 and 2018 [8]. His route to Hannover ran through SpVgg Unterhaching, a regional club, and a spell as head coach at FC Augsburg [4].

Youth at Bayern and the first clubs

Wagner was born on 29 November 1987 [1]. He came up through the youth ranks of FC Bayern Munich [8]. The DFB profile shows him with Bayern's under-19 side from 2004 to 2006 [1].

His professional stations, as the DFB profile lists them, include MSV Duisburg, Werder Bremen, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Hertha BSC, SV Darmstadt 98 and TSG Hoffenheim, followed by a second spell at Bayern from January 2018 [1]. The Bundesliga article on his Augsburg appointment calls him a three-time German champion and two-time DFB-Pokal winner [4]. His DFB profile lists two league titles, in 2007/08 and 2017/18, and one cup win, in 2007/08 [1].

Hertha BSC and the Hoffenheim years

Hertha signed him from Werder Bremen in July 2012, for a fee that the Berliner Kurier puts at 250,000 euros [8]. In the promotion season he played 31 matches and scored five goals. In his first season back in the top flight he made 25 appearances and scored twice [8].

The 2014-15 season was different. He was mostly a substitute, with 15 appearances off the bench and no goals [8]. He left Hertha in the summer of 2015. He later described the frustration of coming on for ten minutes and never getting into a game [8]. At Hoffenheim, where Julian Nagelsmann was his coach, his playing career wound down [8].

National team caps

Wagner made his debut in a 1:1 draw in Denmark. Four days later, in his second cap, he scored a hat-trick in a 7:0 win over San Marino in World Cup qualifying on 10 June 2017 [9]. Joachim Löw, the coach at the time, praised his physical presence, saying that Wagner has enormous force and is not always easy to defend against [9].

He was part of the squad that won the 2009 European Under-21 Championship and, in 2017, the Confederations Cup [6]. In total he made eight appearances for Germany and scored five goals [8].

Retirement and the first coaching job

Wagner ended his playing career in 2020, at the age of 32. His last club was Tianjin Teda in the Chinese Super League [7]. He said he had achieved all his goals and dreams and wanted more time with his family in Munich, as well as a start in coaching [7].

In March 2021 SpVgg Unterhaching announced him as U19 coach from 1 July. It was his first job in management. He called it the perfect step to start his coaching career, and at the time he was working towards his UEFA A licence [5]. He later became head coach of the first team, and in the 2022-23 season he led Unterhaching to promotion to the 3. Liga [6].

Assistant to Nagelsmann and the U20 team

In June 2023 the DFB named him co-trainer to Hannes Wolf with the German under-20 team, replacing Hanno Balitsch, who moved to the under-18 side [6]. Wagner called it an absolute dream solution and said that after his first years as a coach it was the perfect next step [6]. From September 2023 he worked as an assistant to Julian Nagelsmann with the national team [8].

FC Augsburg and the 2025 dismissal

FC Augsburg signed him on 28 May 2025 on a three-year contract to 30 June 2028 [4]. He was dismissed in December 2025 after a poor start to the season [3].

Hannover 96

Hannover released Christian Titz after the team had won only one of its first five league matches [3]. Wagner was presented to the media on Monday, 21 September 2026, after a 2:1 home win over VfL Bochum [2]. Managing director Jonas Boldt initiated the change [10].

Hannover have been hoping to return to the Bundesliga for eight years, and ZDF heute describes the club as stuck in the middle of the table [10]. Wagner set out his aim in one sentence: developing players, and giving young talent a platform [10]. Under Wagner, Hannover drew 1:1 with FC St. Pauli on matchday 8 [10].