Ilzer & Co. counted out

“We spend 90 million, how many are we?”

Christian Ilzer and Andreas Schicker are criticized by their own players.

(Bild: AFP/APA/dpa/Uwe Anspach/Daniel ROLAND)

TSG Hoffenheim coach Christian Ilzer and sporting director Andreas Schicker's nerves are increasingly frayed. A few weeks after striker Andrej Kramaric, another long-serving professional, Dennis Geiger, expressed his criticism of the transfer policy of the struggling German Bundesliga club on Saturday after the 4-0 home defeat against Union Berlin. "We are spending 90 million. How many are we? Fourth last," said Geiger on Sky. "Of course that can't be right."

As with Kramaric, with whom Schicker had spoken of clearing up "misunderstandings", Ilzer wants to refrain from punishing the midfielder for the time being. "I didn't listen to the interview," emphasized the Styrian. "What counts for me is what he shows me in training, what he shows me in the next game." There was nothing wrong with it in principle. "But it doesn't get us anywhere if we dig and dig in the past. That's the situation now, we can't change it."

Slogans of perseverance from Ilzer
The former Sturm Graz mastermind emphasized that the only thing that can be changed is what happens in the future. "We have enough personnel and enough qualities for that," said Ilzer. "But you have to let them out of us. We have the potential to present ourselves differently. We just have to bring that onto the pitch."

Hoffenheim are 15th in the table after suffering their heaviest home defeat in the Bundesliga for almost five years - and against a direct rival to boot. For the time being, they are four points clear of the relegation places. The fear of relegation is real. "It's going to be really difficult with a performance like this," said Geiger. "I'm at a loss for words, it's very disappointing." Next Sunday, the team will visit Werder Bremen.

Schicker also criticized
The team from Kraichgau have lost nine of their 16 competitive matches since Ilzer took over in November. This compares to just three wins and four draws. Among other things, the transfers have come in for criticism, although former striker mastermind Schicker has only been responsible for these since October. "We've invested so much money for nothing," said Kramaric in January. Hoffenheim have already used 34 different players this season, with ÖFB team player Alexander Prass regularly one of them.

According to media reports, Kramaric is annoyed by the radical change of system under Ilzer to a much more pressing-intensive style of soccer. Hoffenheim's record player was not sanctioned for the statements he made after a 5-0 defeat against Bayern Munich ("I feel a lot of shit at the club"). Schicker did not want to answer immediately whether Geiger had to fear something like that, but wanted to "discuss it internally". According to his own statements, the sports director, like Ilzer, had not yet heard the interview after the game.