Football Season Guide

Hoffenheim was unable to fill their potential again last season despite an encouraging first half of the campaign. The club had a Champions League spot in its grasp at one stage but a poor run and numerous injury problems caused them to miss out on European competition altogether. The bad results in 2022 prompted the board to part company with coach Sebastian Hoeneß after two seasons in charge. His replacement Andre Breitenreiter has previously managed the likes of Paderborn, Schalke, and Hannover and most recently won the title with Swiss side FC Zurich. The Kraichgauer have been relatively quiet in the transfer market so far but there is time for some more recruits before the window shuts. The defence is an area that needs strengthening but the signing of Ozan Kabak is a good start, the Turkish centre-back has plenty of potential which has so far gone unfulfilled. Central midfield is where the other two signings have been made. Grischa Promel from Union Berlin brings a wealth of experience at this level and Finn Ole Becker is an up-and-coming talent ready to take his chance. The positive for Hoffenheim is that their outgoings have mainly been players who were out on loan last season. Florian Grillitsch is the most notable departure but he spent a lot of last season out injured anyway. The biggest concern is keeping hold of international left-back David Raum, who is being looked at by several clubs who can offer more. Breitenreiter should adopt a similar style to his predecessor so you will expect Hoffenheim to play on the front foot, scoring goals shouldn’t be a problem but there are still concerns defensively. Also keeping players fit is key, something they haven't been able to do in recent seasons.