Andre Breitenreiter wins the championship in Switzerland, which also makes him interesting for German Bundesliga clubs. TSG Hoffenheim brings the trainer from Zurich to the Kraichgau. The club has great ambitions that Sebastian Hoeneß has not been able to fulfill before.
A master maker for the village club: Andre Breitenreiter has found his way back to the Bundesliga after his successful trip to Switzerland and will take over TSG Hoffenheim from the coming season. At TSG, the coach, who led FC Zurich to the title right away, should finally achieve the ambitious goals and build on the successes under Julian Nagelsmann.
The principles of "being offensive, courageous, flexible and active absolutely match my idea of the game, so I'm looking forward to our future together and my return to the Bundesliga," said Breitenreiter. He goes to the task with "great ambition" and will work hard "day after day" to achieve the goals. The 48-year-old succeeds Sebastian Hoeneß, from whom the Kraichgauer parted ways after two seasons. Breitenreiter signed with the club of majority owner Dietmar Hopp until June 2024. TSG released him from his one-year contract for allegedly around 300,000 euros.
Breitenreiter is "a very ambitious coach who fits in perfectly with TSG with his attacking game idea," said TSG director of professional football, Alexander Rosen: "In addition to his professional expertise, he convinces from the first moment with his engaging, empathetic nature. He stands for Team spirit, passion and communication." Breitenreiter should succeed where Hoeneß and his predecessor Alfred Schreuder failed. The new coach has to step out of Nagelsmann's shadow, who led the club into the Champions League - that's the only way he can be successful.
Breitenreiter's career so far in the Bundesliga leaves open whether he can succeed. Breitenreiter has been on the sidelines at SC Paderborn, Schalke 04 and Hannover 96 - with variable success. The coach led Paderborn to the elite class eight years ago, but was immediately relegated with the club. Breitenreiter then moved to Gelsenkirchen. He finished fifth with Schalke before being fired by then-new sporting director Christian Heidel.
In March 2017, Breitenreiter took over as coach in Hanover. He also rose to the Bundesliga with the Lower Saxony and held the class. In January 2019 he had to go - Hannover was on a relegation zone. In the Kraichgau, Breitenreiter expects a team that gambled away the hoped-for European Cup participation with nine games without a win. Hoeneß did not manage to develop the potential of the well-stocked squad in his two years.
Hopp, who would like to see his club play internationally permanently, did not like that at all. At the general meeting last Saturday, the billionaire described the three defeats with 13 goals conceded in the last three games as "unacceptable". Breitenreiter should now ensure that things are acceptable from the start of training on June 26th.
