Hanover: Lüftl to Replace Manga as Chief Scout

Successor for Ben Manga found

Important personnel details for the second division team have been clarified

Updated 12/25/2025 – 4:57 p.mReading time: 1 Min.

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Ben Manga: He worked for Schalke 04 from 2024 to 2025. (Source: Harry Langer/dpa/dpa-bilder)

Schalke 04 is looking for a successor for Ben Manga. Now the second division team has apparently found what they are looking for with a league competitor.

Manga was previously director of squad planning, scouting and recruitment before being released early despite a contract running until 2028. Lüftl will therefore act as head of scouting and transfers.

The 31-year-old comes from a league competitor. Lüftl’s contract as chief scout in Hanover ends after this season. It is still unclear when Lüftl will begin his new role in Gelsenkirchen. But it could be quicker, because it was only on Wednesday that the Lower Saxony team had signed Jörg Schmadtke as the successor to sports director Marcus Mann, who had moved to RB Salzburg.

Marcus Cole

Marcus Cole is a senior football analyst at Archysport with over a decade of experience covering the NFL, college football, and international football leagues. A former NCAA Division I player turned journalist, Marcus brings an insider's understanding of the game to every breakdown. His work focuses on tactical analysis, draft evaluations, and in-depth game previews. When he's not breaking down film, Marcus covers the intersection of football culture and the communities it shapes across America.

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