Uwe Speidel (born 27 March 1971)[1] is a Germanfootball coach.
He spent most of his career as aconditioning coach or assistant manager, having two spells as interim manager ofMSV Duisburg andHansa Rostock in the2. Bundesliga. At the start of his career, he worked atS.L. Benfica in Portugal andXerez CD in Spain, under GermansJupp Heynckes andBernd Schuster respectively.
Born inCreglingen,Baden-Württemberg, Speidel began his career as aconditioning coach atFortuna Köln and1. FC Köln. In July 2000 he moved toS.L. Benfica of the PortuguesePrimeira Liga, managed by compatriotJupp Heynckes; he signed a one-year deal to work at all levels of the club, especially theyouth andB-team.[2]
In 2001, Speidel moved across the border to work atXerez CD in the SpanishSegunda División under German managerBernd Schuster. Spanish newspaperABC noted the strictness of Speidel's pre-season training sessions for the team in Germany, and that his limited Spanish vocabulary concentrated on the word "¡Más!" ("More!").[3] In October, he refused to work until his wage backlog was sorted.[4] In 2003, after Schuster left Xerez,[5] Speidel returned home toSchalke 04 to work under Heynckes.[6]
Speidel was Heynckes's assistant atBorussia Mönchengladbach from 2005 to January 2007, being let go at a difficult time that saw Heynckes under police protection from fans.[7] He was assistant manager atMSV Duisburg in the2. Bundesliga andBundesliga between 2008 and 2010; after the dismissal ofPeter Neururer he was the interim manager on 1 November 2009 for a 3–0 win atTuS Koblenz in the second tier.[8]
Speidel returned to conditioning coaching atBayern Munich II and was assistant manager atEnergie Cottbus andArminia Bielefeld. In February 2017, incomingVfL Wolfsburg managerAndries Jonker named him andFreddie Ljungberg as assistants.[9] All three were fired in September.[10]
In 2021, Speidel returned to work atHansa Rostock's academy. He was put in charge of the first team in the 2. Bundesliga on an interim basis, losing 3–0 atSC Paderborn on his debut on 15 December 2023.[11]