Aberdeen sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel has urged Scottish football to “not just think about how it was in the past”, after being “a bit surprised” by reaction to him joining interim manager Peter Leven in the dugout.
Following the sacking of Jimmy Thelin at the turn of the year, it was announced that the German would be supporting Leven during his temporary spell in charge.
Despite that, his appearances in the dugout during their last two fixtures – back-to-back defeats by Rangers – have raised eyebrows from some within the game.
“I don’t think anybody should be bothered where I sit, even if I sit on top of the roof of the stadium, it doesn’t really matter,” Pfannenstiel told BBC Scotland.
“Time is moving on and in other countries it is very normal. I don’t think everything needs to be within the norm. If there is something new, Scottish football should not just think about how it was in the past. Why not look into new things?”
Pfannenstiel, who arrived at Aberdeen in late October, was eager to reiterate that he is not pitchside to “play manager”.
He says that Leven, who leads Aberdeen against Raith Rovers on Sunday in the Scottish Cup, is the one making the decisions.
The 52-year-old Pfannenstiel has been involved in football around the world in various capacities during his career, but this is his first taste of the game in the UK.
“I have heard people say ‘I’ve never seen a sporting director in the changing room’ – this is pure ignorance because in most clubs in the world, the director of football goes before the game, or after the game, or even at half-time to the changing room,” Pfannenstiel said.
“That is very normal in most footballing cultures. So I don’t see that there is any problem. I think people don’t really know what the job of a sporting director is.
“It is not an administrative role, it is a football role. Being down there and getting a feeling for the mood in the camp is very important for me to pick up when it comes to the next few transfer periods.”
With Aberdeen currently struggling on the pitch, Pfannenstiel will be central to their strategy for getting things moving back in the right direction.
A key part of that will be appointing a new manager, a process he is leading. Once the new man is in place – will we continue to see the German in the dugout?
“Hopefully not, but I don’t know yet. I could be. It depends where the manager is from. It could be a manager who wants that, it could be a manager who doesn’t care about it, so I haven’t made up my mind.
“Normally, I see myself more in the stands. I think it is better for me to see it from above. But, right now, it is a different situation and we will figure it out when the new manager arrives.”
