Austrian-born, Hütter played his entire career in his native country. After making his first-team debut at Grazer AK in 1988 – the first of three spells there – he made his name as a central midfielder with SV Austria Salzburg, now known as Red Bull Salzburg. He brought down the curtain on his playing career with the club – then known as Red Bull Juniors – in 2007 due to a persistent Achilles injury, and immediately swapped his place on the pitch for one in the dugout as assistant coach to first-team boss Lars Sondergaard.
“Earlier, I was all about possession and wanted to see nice football back to front, moving the ball so our opponents didn’t touch the ball once,” explained the second Austrian to coach after Anton Marek (1956-58), who now has a much more dynamic, direct style. “Personally, I don’t like to play the ball around with horizontal passes in our own half.”
Having “recharged my batteries, I have lots of energy to be on the pitch with my team and staff” following his departure from Borussia Mönchengladbach at the end of the 2021/22 season, Hütter can also use his European pedigree to get the principality outfit back onto the continental scene.
Having succeeded a former Monaco boss, Niko Kovac, at Eintracht Frankfurt at the start of the 2018/19 season, he guided the team through the Europa League group stage unbeaten – the first German club ever to do so – before eventually falling to eventual winners Chelsea in a semi-final penalty shoot-out.
