After a disappointing season, Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim has parted ways with coach Sebastian Hoeneß.
The constant whining and lamenting is over. Sebastian Hoeneß, who in the past few weeks of the unchecked descent has constantly cited injury problems as an excuse, has lost his job as coach of the Bundesliga soccer team TSG Hoffenheim after two unsuccessful seasons.
In the end, even the big name couldn’t save the coach. Five days after his 40th birthday, Hoeneß received his papers as a belated “gift”. After the negligently playful entry into the European Cup due to the last nine games without a win, the nephew of Bayern Honorary President Uli Hoeneß could no longer be held back. According to both sides, the separation was “amicable”.
Although sports director Alexander Rosen had only expressed his confidence in the coach at the end of April, Hoeneß was over shortly after the botched season finale at Borussia Mönchengladbach (1: 5).
“We have always clearly expressed our appreciation for the coach and person Sebastian Hoeneß over the past few months. That’s another reason why the decision was not easy for us,” said Rosen. But you have to “admit that the results and events of the past two months have overshadowed many of the many positive aspects that this season had in store and that meanwhile brought us up to fourth place”.
It is not clear who will succeed him. There is speculation about a large number of names. Rosen is also under pressure when it comes to choosing a coach: after all, Alfred Schreud, Julian Nagelsmann’s first heir, had to leave early. According to Rosen, the club “doesn’t just want to make changes in the coaching position”.
The Kraichgauer ended the season in a disappointing ninth place. In the last three games of the season, TSG suffered three defeats with a total of 13 goals conceded. As a result, Hoeneß had to take his hat off.
“The all-important question we had to ask ourselves after these negative impressions was whether we as a club could start the new season unencumbered in this constellation,” said Rosen: “After detailed discussions, we answered this question together in the negative. “
Bundesliga: Four coaches have already left after the end of the season
After Adi Hütter (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Markus Weinzierl (FC Augsburg) and Florian Kohfeldt (VfL Wolfsburg), Hoeneß is the fourth coach to leave or have to leave at the end of the season.
The separation from Hoeneß, whose contract actually ran until June 2023, came as a surprise despite the recent negative series. About two weeks ago, Rosen had explained that the coach was firmly in the saddle at the ambitious club of majority owner Dietmar Hopp.
Hoeneß himself made no secret of the internal discrepancies. “In the past few weeks we have carried out an intensive analysis of our joint work and have not found any consensus on the future direction,” said the ex-coach: “Therefore, from my point of view, an amicable separation is logical.”
Most recently, Rosen, like Hoeneß, repeatedly cited the weaknesses in defense in addition to injury problems as the reason for the disappointing performance. “We have a need to speak in all areas,” Hoeneß said on his milestone birthday – now he is no longer allowed to have a say.
