An interview with Ernst Tanner

Mr. Tanner, have you spent anytime this season, thinking of where 1899 Hoffenheim would be if a Bundesliga match only lasted 80 minutes instead of 90?

Given that we're not playing schoolboy football, there's nothing I can do about that. However, the point is that this is an aspect of our game that definitely needs improvement, so that when we're the better team in the match, we convert the performance into three points.

Marco Pezzaiuoli has been in charge since January having taken over from Ralf Rangnick. What is the relationship between the head coach and the manager like?

It's easy. That's mainly to do with the fact that, whether it's our strategic philosophy or our plans for the squad, we agree on a lot of things to do with the direction the club is taking.

When you're looking at new players to bring in, what are the things you look for? A good gut feeling, the player's experience or maybe even statistical data?

There are lots of aspects that play different roles. A lot of the players I've known for a long time having tracked their development from a young age. These experiences are crucial for younger players. The concept the club wants to put in place also plays a role at times like these, as we have to work out whether his character, potential and development so far will fit in with what we're looking for.

You were up against Mainz 05 this weekend. Did you see similarities between yourselves and your opponents?

There are definitely a few similarities most notably our footballing philosophy. Just like us Mainz endeavour to play ball-orientated attacking football and just like us they have decided to focus their efforts on younger players. However, when it came to this Hoffenheim were certainly the trendsetters.

Mainz and Hannover have been the surprise packages in the Bundesliga this season, which has meant we've seen the likes of Bremen, Wolfsburg and Stuttgart dragged into the relegation battle. What's going on with the Bundesliga?

There was a big re-think at several clubs. You can point to a limited budget that had highlighted the importance of youth players, just like you can point at eleven players who don't play like a team. A squad who function as unit both on and off the ball will always cause teams, who don't play like this, problems. These revelations have become more and more apparent in recent years and Hoffenheim were already successful in the 2008/09 season with that exact concept.

Do you believe the Bundesliga can re-establish itself on the European stage?

Absolutely. What's I've found particularly pleasing is that, in recent years, the Bundesliga has become increasingly more attack oriented. It has definitely boosted the attractiveness of the football and therefore the entertainment value. It's already clear to see when you compare the amount of goals scored compared to the shots taken. The Bundesliga is certainly ahead of France and Italy in that department.

January saw 1899 Hoffenheim bring in Ryan Babel from Liverpool. How was that done deal in terms of the economical perspective?

Due to the release of Demba Ba that we had to act upon, we had cleared some room in our salary budget, but without that transfer we could never have even thought about bringing in Ryan. At the same time we had also lost some of the substance in our squad, which we couldn't just fill with the up and coming youngsters we had at our disposal at the time. At the end of the day we didn't stray too far from our normal policy to make the transfer happen. Ryan has only just turned 24 as he reaches the end of his development phase, but he still has a lot of potential that we want to help him unlock as he helps make our team better.

Are you of the opinion that there were higher expectations for Hoffenheim than what they are currently achieving?

In the public's perception you often find that expectations are a little bit excessive at times. Our first half a year in the Bundesliga was phenomenal and it surprised everyone; the public, our opponents and of course our own fans as well. So some now seem to think that's what they can expect every season, but we still have someway to go before that becomes a reality.

What would you say to the fans who are dreaming of a European place come the end of the season?

Dreaming will never be forbidden. Over the last few years we've tried really hard to make it into Europe and have always fallen short. However, if we take our time and concentrate on playing consistently good football in the direction we want then this will certainly be a possibility in the foreseeable future.

The last thing we need from you are some predictions: Who will win the title? Where will Hoffenheim end up?

It's hard to argue against Borussia Dortmund for the title, but the next three matches will decide what happens in my opinion. As for Hoffenheim I reckon come the end of the season we'll find ourselves a few places further up the table.

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