New KSC coach Senft starts with football romanticism

Maximilian Senft, 36, steps into the role of head coach for German second-division football club Karlsruher SC, embracing a childhood "football romanticism" associated with the team.

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From childhood days, I associate a football romantic feeling with KSC. KSC is very well known in Austria.

Senft, who previously led Austrian club SV Ried, described his appointment as a "very great privilege" to coach a club with such a rich history. He noted the Wildparkstadion's capacity, significantly larger than his former club's stadium, as a major draw. His team's debut under his leadership will be at a public training session on Sunday, moved to the stadium to offer fans shade from the heat.

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It is a very great privilege for me to coach clubs like KSC, where so much history is attached.

The club, which finished tenth last season, is undergoing a significant overhaul. Senft and his new coaching staff, including assistants Eduard Buxmann and Emmanuel Falropa, and fitness coach Mauro Zanoguera, face the challenge of modernizing the team. Sport director Mario Eggimann hopes Senft will "leave something lasting" as the club aims to return to the Bundesliga within four years.

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The Wildparkstadion is actually 'a bit bigger' than the arena of my former club, which holds just over 7,000 spectators.

Senft acknowledges the team's current state and the need for multiple transfer windows to build a competitive squad. He has focused on defining player profiles rather than specific names. His coaching philosophy emphasizes "defending forward" and playing "very aggressively," with a strong focus on team performance as the fundamental basis.

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The idea of my team playing in front of 30,000 spectators has 'total pulling power' for my decision.