Croatia coach up for SV Hamburg job

Croatia coach Slaven Bilic is the latest candidate for the SV Hamburg coaching job next season, Kicker sports magazine reported on its website Tuesday.

Kicker said that Hamburg sports director Dietmar Beiersdorfer and board member Katja Kraus were in Zagreb for talks on Monday.

Hamburg spokesman Joern Wolf said the club will not comment on speculation around the coaching job.

Hamburg, who stand third in the Bundesliga, are in need of a new coach after the season as Huub Stevens returns to his native Netherlands. He said he wants to be close to his ill wife and will take over PSV Eindhoven.

Bilic, 39, has been Croatia coach since 2006. His playing career included a term in Germany at SC Karlsruhe.

Other men linked with the Hamburg job are Fred Rutten (Twente Enschede), Christian Gross (Basel), Juergen Klopp (Mainz 05) and Bruno Labbadia (Greuther Fuerth).