Managing Director Schicker confirmed
© Imago
Coach Christian Ilzer got a preliminary job guarantee after the narrow Bundesliga removal with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. “We will definitely go into the coming season with Christian Ilzer. You have to give him the time to have a longer preparation to change something. That was brutally difficult in the season,” said Hoffenheim’s sports manager Andreas Schicker after the 0: 4 in the season finale against German champion FC Bayern Munich.
In November of the previous year, Ilzer switched to TSG as the successor to the dismissed Pellegrino Matarazzo from the Austrian champion Sturm Graz. However, the 47-year-old Austrian could not lead the Europa League participant out of the sporting crisis. Hoffenheim ended the disappointing season with 32 points in 15th place in the table, Ilzer won an average of 0.93 points in 29 games.
“We know that it was a totally messed up season. Now we are relieved that we can play Bundesliga again next season. But we are aware that it cannot go on and that we have to change something,” said Schicker.
On Monday, Schicker and Ilzer want to sit down to develop a strategy for the next season. “It is important to set the right impulses. We have a clear plan and we want to implement it in preparation,” announced Ilzer. The Austrian described the past season as “brutally instructive”. For the future he wanted “that we are a little more successful”.