Sinsheim, Germany – Hoffenheim confirmed Tuesday that Marco Kurz has been named as the club's new manager.
The 43-year-old will take up the post on January 1 after being named as the successor to Markus Babbel, who was sacked earlier in December.
As a player, Kurz made over 300 Bundesliga appearances for Stuttgart, Nurnberg, Borussia Dortmund, Schalke and 1860 Munich. He won the Bundesliga with Dortmund in 1995 and the UEFA Cup with Schalke two years later.
Kurz began his managerial career at Pfullendorf in 2005 before a spell at 1860 Munich. He took charge of Kaiserslautern in 2009 and guided the club to promotion to the Bundesliga the following year.
Hoffenheim enters the Bundesliga's winter break seven points adrift of a spot outside of the relegation zone.
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