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Hitzfeld signs up as national football coach

Ottmar Hitzfeld has been confirmed as the next coach of the Swiss football team.

The Bayern Munich trainer will take charge of the national team on July 1 after leaving his current job at the end of the season, the Swiss Football Association said Tuesday.

Hitzfeld will succeed Köbi Kuhn, who is stepping down after the European Championship being played in Switzerland and Austria in June.

The 59-year-old began his coaching career in Switzerland and won two league titles with Grasshoppers before returning to his native Germany.

Hitzfeld then became only the second man to win European Cup titles with different clubs, achieving the feat with Borussia Dortmund in 1997 and Bayern in 2001.

He signed a two-year contract on Tuesday, aiming to lead Switzerland to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The football association had agreed on financial terms with Hitzfeld earlier this month.

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