Bundesliga
Hoffenheim presents coach Matarazzo: “It fits perfectly”
Pellegrino Matarazzo is the new coach of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. photo
© Uwe Anspach/dpa
With the signing of Pellegrino Matarazzo, Hoffenheim is relying on an old acquaintance – with great enthusiasm. The relegation battle should soon no longer be an issue.
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim does not see Pellegrino Matarazzo as an emergency solution in the relegation battle and has confidently presented his new head coach.
“We agreed very, very quickly that in Rino we have someone who would suit us perfectly,” said sporting director Alexander Rosen at a press conference in Zuzenhausen. Rosen did not want to answer the question of whether the contract of Julian Nagelsmann’s former Hoffenheim assistant coach, which runs until 2025, also applies to the 2nd Bundesliga: “That’s a scenario that we don’t deal with on the 19th matchday. We’re busy getting our horsepower back on the road.”
Matarazzo is the successor of André Breitenreiter in the ailing Kraichgauer, who had to go into the relegation battle after a series of nine games without a win in the Bundesliga and the crash. “We still have 15 game days left. Nobody takes anything lightly here. On the other hand, it’s not like the season will be over in two games,” said Rosen about TSG’s precarious situation, just three points ahead of the relegation place with Matarazzos Former club VfB Stuttgart.
The 45-year-old started as a youth coach in Hoffenheim and became Nagelsmann’s assistant in 2018. According to his own statement, Matarazzo has not yet read any congratulations on his new job from his friend and current Bayern coach: “I’ve already received 75 messages that I haven’t looked at yet. Maybe he has already written.”
Matarazzo starts against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday (3.30 p.m. / Sky). “The first step is to get into the performance, to be competitive. I’m very, very sure that we’re on the right track. Of course, the first goal is to stay in the league – then we’ll look further,” said the Italo- American. During his first training session, he found the team to be “very open, very receptive, very energetic”.