“There's great potential here”

achtzehn99.de: eight games; ten points. What is your opinion of how things have gone under your stewardship so far?

Markus Babbel: It's mixed. Of course, we let a few points go which should have been in the bag, like against Werder Bremen, 1. FC Köln and FSV Mainz 05. But in the circumstances, we can and should be satisfied.

Last week, the club and Ernst Tanner went their separate ways. Tanner was one man with whom you spoke before coming to Hoffenheim. What is your reaction to the decision?

The main concern was the future footballing direction of the club. Or to put it more concretely, the development of the playing squad for next season. In the conversations we had since I arrived as manager, it became clear that we had very different visions for how the squad should be developed. We talked it through with the shareholders and the owner Dietmar Hopp. In fact, there had already been some differences in opinion previous to that. The end result of all the wrangling was that a change had to be made, purely and simply. But everything was done honestly and openly.

What did you make of the public reaction to the decision?

It's always the case that things are widely reported when there's a change in the management or leadership of a professional football club. But whatever happens, it's a decision made by the club and that should be respected. It's not the first time that I've encountered that type of speculation anyway.

You will also be taking up the role of sporting director until the end of the season. Are you at all worried about taking on the extra responsibility?

No, because I don't think that much will actually change for me. In Rainer Widmayer I have someone very professional at my side for every training session, and he often takes sessions for me. And the sporting development side of things is very well delegated at the club. Everyone will be doing his or her part in one way or another.

What is the division of work like between you and Rainer Widmayer?

I make the decisions, but we always discuss things beforehand. He's an excellent educator of players and he takes care of arranging what training exercises we do. It means I don't have to stand around screaming on the training ground!

Does that make it easier for you to deal with things off the pitch, when they arise?

Absolutely. I talk with the players not only about the upcoming games but also the whole season and their perspectives on the club. But if I busied myself with every one of those tasks, then I would need a month off every so often; there's just so much to do. Luckily I have trustworthy and reliable people to help me.

When do you properly begin planning for next season?

Preparation has already begun. As the coach, I've already started thinking about the squad for the new season, and it would be silly to just jump in at the deep end when it finally arrives. At the moment we're speaking to every player about his future, but we're not ruling any options out.

Is that the case for players out on loan, such as Gylfi Sigurdsson, Kevin Volland and Michael Gregoritsch?

Of course. We will analyse their development and then sit down with them as well. It's also a case of what the players want.

Is a complete overhaul of the Hoffenheim squad in the offing?

No. Most of the players are on long-term contracts. There are of course a few whose situations are still under discussion, but it's a big squad. It could well be the case that there is very little activity at the end of the season. We have a lot of quality in our ranks, that's clear.

Do you communicate with Dietmar Hopp or the board of advisors regarding contract and transfer negotiations with players?

Not if it involves the footballing side of things, no. But we discuss financial things together, obviously. We keep to the framework we devised when I came here. And if certain sums come into play, then the board of advisors weigh in with their input.

The system of having a manager in charge of the team and of transfer policy, as opposed to just a coach, has produced a lot of success for clubs in Europe. You can point to Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, Pep Guardiola at Barcelona and Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid. What are the advantages of having one person in charge of both departments?

You have more responsibility, and your decisions have more gravity. You build a team more or less by yourself, and you can see how it develops every day. That's certainly an advantage…

But are there any disadvantages?

The pressure on you is much greater than if you were just the coach. But in my career I've learned how to deal with pressure and I look forward to the challenge.

Is your filling this role a temporary solution, in your opinion, or could you see yourself doing this job in the long term as well?

I haven't asked myself that question yet, nor have I really thought about it. I think it's good that I can attempt it for a certain period of time. But whatever happens after the summer, whether a new sporting director is brought in or not, isn't really my highest priority right now.

You recently said that you wanted the concept at Hoffenheim to be one where young players are nurtured, blooded and then developed. Are there limitations to that for you, compared to your predecessor Holger Stanislawski?

I think the work done here to promote younger players and improve the quality of the academy is sensational, it really is. We have only been at such a high level of youth development for a few years, and people tend to forget that. They also criticise and complain that more hasn't been done. But I'm supremely confident that we will start to see results from our work and integrate young, home-grown players into the first team, perhaps not immediately but in the near future. To answer your question about limitations, I'm of the opinion that success doesn't come with only having young players; you need some experienced heads in your team too. We have the youngest team in the Bundesliga, and we are a good footballing side. But we are also inexperienced. That has been exposed a few times this season, particularly in the last few minutes of games, where we lacked the necessary guile or clinical instincts to kill games off. That's one thing that I want to help change. In a few positions you always need seasoned professionals, from whom the younger players can learn.

Is the fact that you were a successful player an advantage for you as a coach?

I believe so. The players know what I achieved and that means they can trust me. But they also know what I expect from them. And then comes the respect, which I pay back to the players. It helps if you have a few trophies in the cabinet like I do.

You got right into the thick of things as soon as you came to Hoffenheim, demoting Sejad Salihovic to the reserves and making him miss two games. He came on as a substitute against VfB Stuttgart and played well. How did he take the treatment and have you been satisfied with his performances since?

He conducted himself in a way that I'd expect from a professional footballer. He didn't complain or whinge. Instead he trained very hard with the reserves, made himself available for one of their games and gave his best in it. When he came on against Stuttgart, he improved our attacking play, and the same was the case in Gladbach. After a difficult start for the team, he fought really well and set up the winner for us. I am satisfied, and the matter is now settled as far as we are both concerned.

You played at a lot of top clubs, such as FC Bayern Munich and Liverpool in England. What makes those clubs stand out from the others?

They all have a very rich history, have achieved a lot of success, a huge fan base and have their own identities. Now we are still some way off achieving all that in Hoffenheim. But there are great fans here and a massive base for future development. I want to assist TSG's growth. There is really great potential here.

Your managerial career started at VfB Stuttgart, where you also had to take your coaching badges, as well as coach the team. Was that a difficult balancing act?

Well that was one of the reasons that I lost my job there. For months at a time, I spent three days a week at the coaching centre in Cologne, and then the other four at VfB Stuttgart. I wasn't able to cope with it.

What does a prospective coach like you learn in a coaching school that he didn't know when he was a player?

Good question! There are always things that as a player you were never quite sure of. But doing the coaching badges is very worthwhile, comprehensive and it gives you the right basic skills to be a good coach in the modern game.

Which opponents did you face or games did you play in that you look back on with real pride in your career?

One game that I'll never forget was when I played against Zinedine Zidane. I was at FC Bayern and we were playing against Bordeaux in the UEFA Cup Final. I went into a challenge with him and he slapped me in the face. Nobody saw and he got away with it. I was just baffled, but I reminded him of the score at the time – 3-0 to us – with my fingers, and we ended up winning it 3-1. Another was the semi-final of Euro 96 against England at Wembley. We won it on penalties. I still have Alan Shearer's shirt at home.

You have moved into an apartment in Heidelberg. How do you like the area?

I don't have much time for sightseeing, but I do manage to sometimes go out shopping. All in all, I feel very at home here. The people are friendly and the countryside reminds me a lot of growing up in Bavaria.

To finish with a quick question about the future with Hoffenheim, what are your objectives here?

My goal as a manager is the same as when I was a player: to win every game. I'm a realist and I know that we won't be challenging for the title next season. But my aim is firstly to finish in the top half of the table, and secondly to qualify for Europe.

And finally, who will win the Bundesliga title this season?

I really think that Dortmund have it in them to wrap up the title again. But this time next season, I think we'll be talking about Bayern as the favourites to win it.