Tim Walter to Hull City latest as Tigers continue talks with ex-Hamburg boss

Former Hamburg head coach Tim Walter is closing in on a move to Hull City
Former Hamburg head coach Tim Walter is closing in on a move to Hull City -Credit:Selim Sudheimer/Getty Images


Hull City hope to appoint former Hamburg boss Tim Walter in the next week as the club continue their talks with the 48-year-old German head coach.

City have been without a manager since Liam Rosenior was sacked last Tuesday and have been in discussions with the attack-minded coach over the past week.

Ilicali is understood to have met Walter in Munich and Monaco, while vice-chairman Tan Kesler has been locked in talks with the prospective new City boss on the continent this week.

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Speaking at a fans Q&A event at the MKM Stadium, Ilicali confirmed the ex-Bayern Munich academy coach as his number one target, saying he was 95 per cent sure Walter would be appointed within the next week, but warned there is other interest and that it wasn't yet complete.

"We have to try something, this is a trial. When you bring in a new manager, it is a trial. As with (player) recruitment, if you do good analysis, your mistake ratio will be down. We worked a lot and being in football, you follow many talented coaches all around Europe, in Turkey, in England, you follow them. There were some coaches that had already taken our attention in the last two years. Of course, we don't talk to other coaches when we have our coach and we were very happy but when it comes to separating with Liam, we have 20 - I don't want to say names because it's confidential, but you would be proud if I announce who wants to come to our club at the moment which makes all of us proud, so many good managers want to come," the Turkish businessman said.

"We have decided about a certain one. At the moment, I can say that Tim Walter is now our number one (target). We've had some meetings with him, working with him to try to gather the same philosophy and mentality together, checking several times. I'm happy to say that the coach we're interested in; I talked to 10 to 12 people who are experts in Germany and from all my conversations with my team, I'm very happy to say that all of them said so many positive things about him."

Ilicali, who enjoyed a close relationship with Rosenior, says it's imperative both the owner and head coach are singing from the same hymn sheet, if the club are to be successful and build on this season's seventh-placed finish.

"Actually, I always believe - one of the guys in our team, a British guy, I respect him so much, he was in our team when I bought the club, I'm very close with him now, this guy said to me one thing very clearly: The success comes when the owner and coach are on the same page when they are very merged the success comes. In my own life, we were always successful when we work together.

"With Liam we had it and we were number seven and we are proud. With this guy, this time, forget about the character's mentality, the football mentality is what I dreamed of for our club. Tim Walter is coming from Bayern (Munich) Under-17s, who has produced many talents in football. He has a 1.82 (points) average in Hamburg.

"His football mentality is the one I've dreamed of. He plays new-generation football with an attacking style of football. At the moment, everything looks very good and I'm very optimistic," before saying he was "95 per cent" sure the deal would get done.