Bundesliga soccer team TSG Hoffenheim has announced the signing of their preferred coaching candidate, Christian Ilzer. The 47-year-old Austrian will be the successor to Pellegrino Matarazzo, who had to leave the fourth-from-bottom team on Monday due to continued failure. Ilzer, who comes from Austrian champions Sturm Graz, will receive “a long-term contract”; the club did not provide any information on the exact term.
“On the one hand, Hoffenheim is a very exciting club that has great potential, just like the team itself. In addition, TSG also plays on the international stage,” said Ilzer, “and last but not least, I get the special opportunity to work with someone I trust again to be able to work together like Andreas Schicker.” Ilzer had led Graz to the double and into the Champions League. His contract with the club from Styria originally ran until 2026. According to Sky, the transfer fee should be around two and a half million euros.
The premiere of the new trainer will be a real endurance test
Ilzer meets old friends at shareholder Dietmar Hopp’s club: sports director Andreas Schicker and technical director Paul Pajduch came to TSG from Graz just a few weeks ago. “I know and appreciate Christian through our collaboration and am convinced that he is the coach who ideally fits the idea that I have in mind for TSG Hoffenheim,” said Schicker. Ilzer has “proven in recent years that he is able to play attractive football with his teams and also develop individual players.”
Ilzer will be officially introduced on Monday, after which he will lead his first training session. The new coach’s debut will be a tough test: in the first league game after the international break, Hoffenheim will host RB Leipzig on November 23rd. Five days later, the Kraichgauers have to play against Sporting Braga in the Europa League in Portugal. In the European Cup, TSG is only in 19th place with a meager five points after four games.
