''We have to choose a smarter way''

Dr. Peter Görlich - responsible not just for the sporting side of things, but also for innovation, internationalisation, marketing and sales - is keen to emphasise that TSG will continue to focus on developing and promoting players from within the club's academy: ''We're building for the future through the internal transfer market, in other words through players that we develop here at our academy. We look to sign up promising young players who we believe can make the step up to the next level with us and in doing so see their market value rise. We're willing to occasionally pay a higher fee in order to acquire certain players, as was the case with Ihlas Bebou for example. But there will always be a certain limit in place at this club.''

Frank Briel - who, in addition to football, is also responsible for overseeing the financial, structural, I.T. and administrative aspects of the club - gives his thoughts on the matter: ''If we look at it objectively, we have to acknowledge that the set-up we have here isn't one that's going to see us go top of the league. If everything goes well - if our strategy is the right one, the pit crew do their jobs perfectly and the race goes in our favour - then we may be able to find ourselves out in front. But realistically, with the kind of engine we have behind us, we're going to find ourselves somewhere between fifth and ninth. It's understandable that participation in the Champions League led to a certain increase in expectations. We want to be playing in Europe, but we have at least nine other clubs competing for this same goal, and seven of them are able to invest considerably more money in pursuing it.''

Under the management of new head coach Alfred Schreuder, the club are going into the upcoming season with the same level of ambition as the last. ''Alfred will bring his own style to the club. He's not going to copy or imitate anyone else. He'll walk his own path. He's a different type of trainer, he has a different public image and a different style of communication to what we had before. I'm confident that Alfred Schreuder will be able to write a successful chapter in the history of the club,'' says Dr. Görlich, with Biel going on to add that: ''We can't make any guarantees as to whether or not we'll have the same success as before, but in any case, that's the challenge we've set for ourselves. Each and every day.''