Crash into the relegation battle
Hoffenheim throws coach Breitenreiter out
2/5/2023 5:03 p.m
Bundesliga club 1899 Hoffenheim is parting ways with coach André Breitenreiter. The 49-year-old has to go to a crisis meeting one day after the 2: 5 at VfL Bochum and the crash in the relegation battle of the Bundesliga – and cannot convince.
Coach André Breitenreiter has to pack his bags at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. According to reports from the “Bild” newspaper and the “Kicker”, this is the result of the crisis talks on Sunday. There has been no comment from the Bundesliga club so far. Sports director Alexander Rosen and the management met in the morning. The Kraichgauers lost 5-2 at VfL Bochum on Saturday and are finally deep in the relegation battle.
After the tenth winless competitive game in a row, the pressure on Breitenreiter was huge. In the past five games (four bankruptcies) there have been 17 goals conceded. “The fact is in any case: something has to happen,” said the coach himself. He came last summer as FC Zurich’s master coach and successor to Sebastian Hoeneß, who had to go after a similar negative series. After a strong start in the league, Breitenreiter and his team were temporarily in fourth place in the table – but now they fell completely and seemed increasingly helpless. The Hoffenheim team are 14th and only three points ahead of their national rivals VfB Stuttgart in the relegation zone. The last league win so far was at FC Schalke 04 in mid-October.
Breitenreiter’s contract with TSG last ran until June 30, 2024. In Bochum he expressed his anger at his weak team with clear words. “I can’t accept what I saw today in any way. It has nothing to do with professional football,” said the former head coach of Hannover 96 and Schalke 04 after the debacle. “I will certainly not put up with that anymore.”
Rosen avoided a clear commitment to the coach, but he did not criticize him explicitly either. “I say it’s an issue to question and discuss everything,” said the manager when asked if separating from Breitenreiter was an issue. The ten games without a win “give us all no arguments. I say consciously: all of us.” With a view to the similar misery in the past second half of the season under Hoeneß, the 43-year-old explained: “It’s too easy to just take one. Maybe we have to ask bigger questions here.”
In view of the downturn, Breitenreiter obviously no longer had any support from majority owner Dietmar Hopp. The 82-year-old patron and billionaire had already stormed at the general meeting last summer that missing out on Europa League participation would cost the club around 20 million euros, and missing out on the Champions League “much, much more”. At that time, Sebastian Hoeneß had to go after a similar negative series as his successor Breitenreiter is now responsible for.