Hearts and Hibs rivals appoint new manager in top six battle as ex-Jambo departs club

Rivals of Hearts and Hibs have appointed their new manager - as a former Jambo leaves them.

Michael Wimmer has been named the new boss of Motherwell and his work permit has been issued ahead of a key clash vs Dundee United this weekend. The Steelmen are one of the teams in the mix with the sides from Edinburgh for a coveted top six spot.

Ahmet Koc comes in alongside him as his assistant, having worked together at Nuremberg and Austria Vienna. Wimmer began his coaching career in the academy setup at Nuremberg in 2010 and made his way through the youth ranks before moving to Bundesliga side Augsburg as assistant manager in 2018.

He moved to another German side in Stuttgart during 2019 and was number two for two years before taking the team on an interim basis in 2022. Four wins from seven attracted interest and he guided Austria Vienna to a top-six finish in the Austrian Bundesliga and they missed out on doing so again by goal difference in the 23/24 season.

Wimmer said: “I’m ecstatic to be joining this football club. This is a hugely exciting club whose core values align with mine. Speaking to the board was insightful, and it was interesting to hear their vision.

“It’s not a club standing still, and I feel Ahmet and I can really help the football club move forward. We’re at a crucial segment of the season, with opportunities all around us.

“There will be no settling-in period. We will commit 100% of our efforts to producing an exciting football team that can achieve targets. I can’t wait to meet the supporters. The passion and enthusiasm are admirable, and it will be a huge contributing factor in our success going forward.”

Chairman Kyrk MacMillan said: “This is a really exciting appointment for the club. There was a robust and strenuous recruitment process that has been ongoing for the last three weeks that has demanded a lot from those involved and I would like to thank them for their hard work.

“Having received hundreds of applications from managers across the world, Michael was the standout candidate. We conducted strenuous due diligence to ensure this appointment would push the club in the correct direction.

“We used a series of measurable values that indicate how effectively potential managerial candidates benchmarked in achieving specific objectives; which we believe went to the core ethos of Motherwell Football Club.

“This, combined with speaking with a number of references and our interviews, made it very clear that not only are Michael and Ahmet driven to deliver success on the pitch, but are also individuals that share our ethos of ambition, innovation and transparency. We are delighted as a football club to welcome Michael and Ahmet onboard and look forward to working together.”

Chief executive Brian Caldwell added: “The Executive Board feel like Michael Wimmer and Ahmet Koc will be excellent additions to the football club. It has been a long road to get to this point, but we felt taking our time and ensuring the data all matches up with what we wanted was crucial.

“They have a history of nurturing young players, which stems from their work in a top academy setup in Germany. They have known each other for 13 years, so they are really connected and have a strong working relationship.

“Coming from Germany, they are well acquainted with fan culture and fan ownership. We also feel this is a major positive, as it’s a significant factor around this football club. We’re proud to be fan-owned and community-driven; Michael and Ahmet will have a complete understanding of this.”

Meanwhile, Stephen Frail has left after the announcement of Wimmer as manager. He spent four years at Hearts as a player and returned as coach and was caretaker after Stuart Kettlewell’s resignation in ML1. He spent two years as number two at Fir Park to Kettlewell but now makes his exit

CEO Caldwell said: “I want to thank Stevie for all of his extremely hard work and efforts over the last couple of years. Over the last three weeks, Stevie was able to stand in and take on all first-team duties.

“We owe him great thanks for doing so in what was a hectic period off the pitch. Knowing that he was taking care of training and match duties meant we could focus on our work to recruit a new Manager, which was a massive help. He leaves with our best wishes for the future.”

Frail added: “I have loved my time here. It’s been a brilliant two years. I wasn’t looking to get back into coaching until I got the call, but I’m so glad I came in.

“It’s been an honour and a privilege to work with brilliant people at this club. It’s sad it came to the end it has, as I would have liked to have signed off with a win. It was on me to get a result for these players but it wasn’t to be.

“I also want to thank and say goodbye to the fans, we have had some brilliant moments together that will live with me forever. Finally, I wish Michael and his staff every success in the future, and I hope they can enhance and take forward the good work that has been done here in the last two years.

“I’m leaving behind good people who I now consider my friends, everyone is pulling the same direction and I hope everything works out well for the players and staff.”