1899 Hoffenheim start pre-season training

The rain was unrelenting as the fans made their way into the stadium. Fortunately the dark clouds vanished as quickly as the water did on the lush surface of the Dietmar-Hopp pitch and the 1899 players came out to a rousing reception as they got their pre-season preparations underway.

Four new faces thrown into the mix

Holger Stanislwaski was not the only new face who on the first training session of the season, as he was joined by assistant coach André Trulsen as well as new signings Sven Schipplock and Fabian Johnson. “The weather could have been better”, admitted Schipplock, “but the facilities here in Zuzenhausen are outstanding.” For Fabian Johnson the move to Kraichgau has offered him a fresh start, having struggled to make an impact with VfL Wolfsburg. “I'm certainly hoping to get some more game time under my belt. I believe I'll fit in well with 1899's style of play.”

Of course the fans were also looking forward to seeing some more recognizable faces. However, Chinedu Obasi, Vedad Ibisevic, Isaac Vorsah, Josip Simunic, Edson Braafheid, Sebastian Rudy, Peniel Mlapa and the returning Jukka Raitala will not be joining up with their teammates until Monday after representing their respective countries at international level. Gylfi Sigurdsson, who represented Iceland in the UEFA U21 European Championships in Denmark, will meet up with the squad in time to take part in the training camp in Feldkirchen on 6th July.

Beck still on board

The biggest cheer from the fans came was reserved for captain Andreas Beck. Italian side Juventus certainly expressed a lot of interest in the right-back, but failed to meet the deadline set by Ernst Tanner. “I'm expecting Andi to stay. Juventus missed the deadline and to my knowledge there are no other teams interested in his signature”, explained the 1899-manager. As for the player himself, Beck seems to be confident of staying in Kriachgau. “I never said that I definitely wanted to leave. There was an interesting offer from Juventus to consider, but now I'm back here in Hoffenheim, looking forward to the season ahead and concentrating entirely on the job at hand.”

Breaking into the top spots

“We want to break into the top half of the table, preferably in the places that earn you a spot in the international competitions”, stated Stanislawski in regard to his ambitions his new club. “It doesn't necessarily have to happen this year, but after finishing 11th in successive season, we need to take the next step and break into Europe.” His task of finalizing a squad capable of pushing for Europe isn't over yet. “After losing Luiz Gustavo we're still looking for a number six with good aerial ability”, began Tanner. “In the goalkeeper position it would good to see an up-and-coming youngster in our ranks.” This means that if U23 keeper Jens Grahl was to go out on loan to gain first team experience there would be a open spot in the squad. “We're in discussions at the moment. It would be good for Jens's development if he was able to play for a club at a higher level”, continued Tanner. 1899's plans for next season are heavily reliant on FC Bayern München signing a midfielder during the summer, as it would allow David Alaba to return to Sinsheim on loan. “We're the ones with the first option if he becomes available on loan”, stated Tanner.

“Stani” gets things going early

The new head coach has immediately made some changes to the routine in Sinsheim as he expects his charges to be at training half an hour earlier than his predecessors Rangnick and Pezzaiuoli. Training will start at 9:30 in the morning. “The early bird catches the fattest worm”, explained “Stani” knowing that he might be looking into a few dreary faces over the coming days.