Ebbsfleet United have extended Vanarama National League South title-winning boss and manager of the year Dennis Kutrieb’s contract at the Kuflink Stadium by a further two seasons as the Fleet head into a new campaign at the highest level of non-league football.
Having passed 100 league games in charge of the club en route to a record-breaking championship success in 2022/23, the German boss became only the fifth manager in club history to deliver a league title.
Three years on from his appointment and in only his second completed season in England, Kutrieb achieved yet another promotion in his managerial career to add to the several he has already enjoyed in his homeland – and with the Fleet in 2022/23 he broke numerous club records, including most goals scored in a league season, most wins and most points.
The 43-year-old signed a new contract last season and this latest extension secures a manager with a track record of success for the football club as the Fleet plan for the long-term following a hugely successful 2022/23.
CEO Damian Irvine commented, “We are an ambitious club and Dennis is an ambitious manager – given what he has already achieved here at the Kuflink Stadium, those two attributes go hand in hand. Dennis has proven he is a great fit for this football club and has repaid the belief we had in him when he arrived in 2020 – a decision not without doubters and detractors at the time. He shows that on a daily basis in his work with the players, his endless hours behind the scenes, as well as his popularity and presence amongst our fans and in the wider local community.
“Such success with an exciting brand of football, of course, brings suitors to our door and it is no surprise Dennis has attracted interest from other quarters including recent offers from the EFL. Like any ambitious club, we want to nurture and keep hold of our talents, particularly those we identified and recruited using our thorough processes and patience, such as those which delivered Dennis to Stonebridge Road.
“This new contract is a reward and a security for both EUFC and Dennis – and provides a very solid foundation heading into our first season at National League level for three years. He has driven our one-club philosophy, his demands for excellence are second-to-none and most crucially, he has produced the results that have brought the crowds and the feelgood factor into the club since his appointment. I am sure this news will give our supporters even more to cheer this summer and have them eager to get amongst their new set of National League opponents as soon as possible!”
Fleet boss Dennis Kutrieb added, “What a season it has been for all of us and the job is not finished with one title so I am delighted to extend my stay at Ebbsfleet United. We were distraught but not disheartened this time last year and I knew we had the tools at this club to go on and better ourselves and we did just that. It was a highlight of my career to win the league with the Fleet last season, I knew and I saw what it meant to so many people, but we don’t stop there.
“We don’t rest on our achievements. We look for improvement, we look to better ourselves all the time and so it is wonderful to be able to continue that job into the future. The chairman has given the club and myself such fantastic backing and I’d like to thank him and everyone at the club and on the terraces for helping us make last season what it was – but most importantly, giving us the platform to move forward again in 2023/24.”
