FC Bayern loanee Chris Richards sees “David-Alaba-Weg” at TSG Hoffenheim

“Hard Love” with sponsor Hoeneß

Although Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann wanted to keep him, Chris Richards decided on Deadline Day last summer to return to TSG Hoffenheim on loan. A key factor in this was his sponsor Sebastian Hoeneß, under whom the defensive man had already played in the Munich U19s and the second half of the 2020/21 season. As a role model, the American takes one of the best defenders in the world, who followed a similar path: David Alaba (29).

The Austrian also spent a season with the Kraichgauers when he was young. In 2010/11 he made 17 Bundesliga appearances for TSG. “Everyone knows David’s story,” Richards said in an interview with “The Athletic”. “I think when you play at Hoffenheim, especially as a young player, a lot of top clubs across Europe take notice. So if I go back to FC Bayern and take the David-Alaba route, that’s probably the best scenario. But there are other paths you can take to get where you want to be.”

Richards has made 15 league appearances this season but was held back by a foot injury in early February. Previously, the right-footed player was one of the few seeded players for the rotation-friendly Hoeneß. “Since he already knows me from the Bayern Academy, he knows what works and what doesn’t,” says Richards, who played a total of 90 games under his mentor – under no other coach have there been so many.

“Once you meet a coach for the first time and know what they do or what they tend to approach, it’s always going to be a kind of tough love. He’s not afraid to tell me what I’m doing wrong and what I’m doing right. That’s something I like and respect in a coach. He brings out the best in me by being honest with me without any frills,” Richards said.

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