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Who is Adolf 'Adi' Hutter?

The experienced head coach has previously had spells with Borussia Monchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt, Young Boys and Monaco, as new reports link him with the managerial position at Tottenham.

After ending his playing career back in 2007, Hutter has managed some high-profile European sides, but is still relatively unknown in England. FourFourTwoexplains who he is and what he could potentially bring to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium...

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Who is Adi Hutter?

Hutter was born in Hohenems, Austria and began playing football for SCR Altach in his youth before moving to Grazer AK and LASK.

In 1993, he joined SV Austria Salzburg and won the Austrian Bundesliga in the 1993/94, 1994/95 and 1996/97 seasons. Hutter was also a runner-up in the 1993/94 UEFA Cup, with Salzburg losing 0–2 on aggregate against Inter.

When did Adi Hutter begin his managerial career?

Hanging up his boots after a final spell with Red Bull Salzburg's second team in 2007, he then went onto take over as manager, but first beginning as the assistant coach.

He then narrowly missed out on promotion with SCR Altach in the Austrian second tier on two occasions between 2009-2012, and departed before joining rivals SV Grodig, with whom he won the second division in 2012/13.

It was then in 2014/15 that he joined Red Bull Salzburg as their permanent boss, winning the Austrian Bundesliga and OFB Cup double. He departed in 2015, and thus his next move took him to Young Boys in Switzerland.

In 2017/18, he won the title with the Swiss outfit, a first win since the 1980s. His next step took him to Germany with Frankfurt, winning Bild's 'Coach of the Year' while Eintracht Frankfurt was voted as their 'Team of the Year' in 2019.

His side even took Chelsea all the way to penalties in the 2019 Europa League semi-finals.

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Further spells with Borussia Mochengladbach and Monaco have brought little success, although he did lead the French side to a second-placed finish in Ligue 1 during the 2024/25 season.

He was sacked at Stade Louis II back in October 2025 and has been out of work since.

How do Hutter's teams like to set-up?

Hutter is known for favouring a 4-2-3-1 formation but does often utilise a 3-4-1-2 or a 3-4-2-1.

His sides are known for high-intensity pressing, utilising two number sixes and two number 10's to help his team dominate the middle of the pitch.

"When you have four players in the middle, I like it, when you have one player more in the centre," he told Coaches Voices when explaining his footballing philosophy.

"It is then not easy for them [when the player has the ball at the back], when they try to switch it to the other centre-back. Then, maybe the second one with the ball, pushes up to the number ten and then we have 3v2 in the midfield."

Matthew Holt writes freelance for FourFourTwo, amongst others, and boasts previous experience at GOAL and SPORTBible. He now works with us alongside his time at Manchester United, aiding with online content for the website. Career highs include working at the FA Cup final, as well as scoring at Old Trafford in front of the Stretford End. A long-term sufferer of his beloved Scunthorpe United, he is often seen on the padel court, as well as occasionally as a six-a-side call-up.