Hamburg sign Kreuzer as director of sport

Berlin: Former Karlsruhe director of football Oliver Kreuzer joined Hamburg as director of sports on a three-year deal.

Kreuzer is the successor of Frank Arnesen, who was sacked weeks ago, as Karlsruhe accepted Hamburg`s offer to release the 47-year-old from his contract Sunday. "Oliver Kreuzer was our desired candidate. He is the best solution for the club in our current situation," Hamburg`s board member Manfred Ertel said. Kreuzer will come on duty June 11 as he put pen to paper for a contract till 2016. The former Bundesliga defender started his career in Karlsruhe where he scored eight goals in 182 matches. Thereafter, he joined Bayern Munich to score eight times in 150 appearances. Hamburg will be absent from international competitions as the "Rothosen" were only able to grab seventh in the standings, which was not enough for European championships. IANS