Football. Ua introduces the village club, which next season will play from Germany in the Champions League.
One of the peculiarities of the German Bundesliga is that a football fan from it will never get tired. The German Championship regularly acquaints us with amazing clubs that are their spectacular game, talented players or just amazing results in the table, one way or another, falling in love with the football community. However, the collective, which we will talk about today, does not only cling to all of the above, but even more! Of course, we will talk about one of the main football discoveries of the current season (and personally for me - the main thing), not only Germany, but throughout Europe. About the modest Hoffenheim, who for the first time in history seeks to bring in the native Sinsheim Champions League!.
Before we begin to talk about the team itself, the reasons for its success in Germany and the cloudless future of Hoffe, it is, according to tradition, to pay little attention to the creation of a new history of the club and at the expense of which it exists, in principle.
To begin with, Hoffenheim is a representative of the small town of Sinsheim with a population of 35. 500 inhabitants, which is located territorially in the center of the triangle of the great German cities of Frankfurt Stuttgart and Karlsruhe (that is, it immediately becomes clear that the rivals in the "peasants" on the football fields have more important rivals). Interestingly, this town consists of 12 nearby villages, the historical center of which, in fact, is Sinsheim. And the famous football club is named after the largest of these villages - Hoffenheim, with a population of three thousand people.
Sinsheim himself was always a rather poor town with a minor history, and was mentioned only in several historical battles of the 16th - 18th centuries. But now he is known for one of the largest museums in Germany, which presents a collection of historic cars, aircraft and other vehicles. The main attraction of the city is visited by more than one million tourists per year.
With it can compete only a new beauty, "Virsol Rhine-Nakkar Arena", host home matches Hoffenheim. It is interesting that with the population of Sinsheim in 35 thousand people, the stadium can place almost all the city in the stands - its capacity is 30 thousand! This fortress was built in 2009, one of the richest people in Germany, Dietmar Hopp. In the history of the team, he plays the greatest role, because after being a passionate fan of football, and a native of the neighboring city of Heidelberg, he acquired Hoffenheim in 2000 and determined a clear system for the development of the club. About its results can not be said, because at that time, "peasants" played in the fifth division of the country, and now guaranteed to participate in the Champions League next season.
Realizing that those in Germany do not like those who do not comply with the "50% + 1" rule, Hopp made it clear that he will be pouring in a limited amount to establish a clear financial structure for the club for many decades to come. He provided the club with everything necessary, having built a luxurious stadium, one of the best bases of Germany of a new generation, with all modern teaching and training technologies. I want to note that not every grand European can boast of such a thing!.
For the first time about the village club, the country learned in 2003 when, in the German Cup, Hoffenheim made it to the quarterfinals, having beaten clubs such as Karlsruhe (4: 0) and Bayer (3: 2) on their way,. By the way, the match against pharmacists was the first official game of the "peasants" against the representative of the Bundesliga.
In general, competent injections of financial resources and qualitative selection of the management of the club, allowed Hopp to create a team that gradually began to develop and progress in German football. Only in eight years the team from the fifth division of Germany made its way to the first Bundesliga. Moreover, I must note the sharp jerk of the club that began in the 2006/07 season: Hoffe finished second in the third league, next year - the same result in the Second Bundesliga, and in the debut season in the elite he became the winter champion of Germany! However, in the second round of the tournament he went on a recession, having settled, in the end, in seventh place. By the way, until this year, that season was the best performed by Hoffenheim in the first Bundesliga. Thus, we learned how the glorious history of a modest club began and smoothly approached its bright dawn in our days.
Last season became decisive in the formation of the new era of the team. Only at the third attempt the leadership of the "village" managed to save Hoffe from relegation. From the first rounds the team of Marcus Gizdol was on the flight, which did not suit the directors of the club. The decree on the dismissal of the head coach was brewing with each round and on October 26 the verdict was finally passed. At the same time, the board of directors not only looked for a new candidate for the post of mentor, but also thought about the development of the project. The following week, a press conference was held at Virsol on which the leadership of Hoffenheim announced the names of the two main coaches of the team: the new and the next. To save the sinking liner from the flight was entrusted to the legendary Khubu Stevens, who, in recent times, did this with Stuttgart. And with the new season, regardless of the results of the team, his place will be taken by the unknown coach of the youth team Yulian Nagelsmann, 28,.
To begin with, with the Dutch, the situation in the table, to put it mildly, has not improved. Hoffenheim continued to confidently go on the flight and in three months, in February 2016, Stevens decided to leave the team ahead of time for health reasons (because of the forthcoming surgery due to cardiac arrhythmia). Then Stevens also completed his coaching career, and in his place, his potential successor, Julian Nagelsmann, became the youngest coach in the history of the Bundesliga six months earlier! At the time of appointment, almost nobody knew about him. Julian had to create a name from scratch not only to himself, but also to his team, saving her from relegation just four months before the end of the championship.
So, who is this Julian Nagelsmann? He was born on July 23, 1987, since childhood he was fond of football, dreaming of becoming a football player. At first everything turned out quite well, at the youth level the guy played for Munich-1860 and Augsburg, however, the constant knee injuries were forced to cut Nagelsmann's playing career as early as 19 years. On the question "where to put yourself further? "He did not think for long and entered the university, studying business management, later - sports science. At the end of the institute, Julian returned to Augsburg, where he became assistant to Thomas Tuchel in the coaching staff of the youth team. Noteworthy fact on the eve of the match for third place Borussia Dortmund - Hoffenheim, is not it?.
Accepting the proposal from the leadership of Hoffenheim, Nagelsmann four years, not without success, led the youth and youth teams of the club. The purposefulness and ambitiousness of the young mentor pleased the leadership, which believed Julian and gave him the main opportunity so far in his career.
The arrival of Nagelsmann changed a lot in the club. Mentor immediately made it clear that to save the team from relegation, he intends to change the psychology within the team. The coach took a blow from media pressure on himself, saying that from now on all the claims will be presented only to him, not to his players. Footballers themselves have repeatedly noted that after the appointment of Julian, they felt like a mountain fell from their shoulders. The mentor brought in the locker room the friendship and tranquility, forcing the players to forget that the team is in the relegation zone.
When meeting with the players Nagelsmann asked them for only two things: mutual respect and honesty in the locker room. He hinted that only with such an atmosphere Hoffenheim will be saved from relegation. The coach did not think about how to gain credibility from the wards, including those who are older than him. He is a man of the same generation who knows the interests of a modern footballer. In addition, the players directly say that he is very sociable and cheerful man! And it's no wonder that in Germany he is called the potential successor of Leva in the national team!.
On the eve of the debut match with Werder (1: 1) Nagelsmann said: "Your business is to play football, go to the field and enjoy it. The result will come ». Making sure that in the eyes of every football player is burning passion and desire, he first brought his team to the field. His new Hoffenheim, who not only escaped from relegation last season, took the 15th place on his results, but also boldly broke into the elite of the best teams in the current. Moreover, already now, for three rounds before the end of the championship, the club broke a personal record on the points scored!.
In addition to the internal cuisine, Nagelsmann significantly changed the game of the team. With him, "village" played in one of the most spectacular football of the Bundesliga. The team likes to work with the ball and own initiative. It became sensible to play in a fast attack and in positional attacks. Demonstrate team play in defense, playing in three central defenders.
For most of the attacking indicators, Hoffenheim is in third place in the Bundesliga: by the number of strokes per game, by the number of strokes on target, by possession of the ball for the match. Even in terms of the number of accurate transmissions. Who will now argue with the fact that wards Nagelsmann undeservedly are in third place in the standings?.
The wonderful atmosphere inside the team is also said by the fact that the newcomers of the club. It's about one of the leaders of Hoffe Sandro Wagner, whose progress can not be overlooked. He came from Darmstadt, where last season he was the best sniper in the team (15 goals in 34 games). By the way, when he was a youth he gave great hopes as an attacker, he was the European champion in the German national team (he took a double to the goal of England in the finals), being in one chic composition with Neuer, Khedira, Howedes, Boateng, Jozil, Schmelzer and other stars of the modern Soccer. At the moment, the striker is second in the list of the club's top scorers in the season - 12 goals in 30 games.
The same can be said about Kerim Demirbaye. Footballer holds the debut season in the first Bundesliga at the highest level and immediately became one of the leaders of Hoffenheim. The player masterfully fulfills standards with the left foot, scores many goals and without exaggeration became one of the best midfielders of the Bundesliga. By the way, the young Nadya Amiri, with whom Nagelsmann worked in the junior staff of the club.
We continue Vogt, who played in Cologne in support, and in Hoff turned into a central defender and became the pillar of the team's defense, Hubner, playing next to him ... In general, whoever you name in the "peasants", everyone plays a huge role in the current success of the club. Two of them even have already signed an early contract with Bayern Munich! It is clear that we are talking about the players of the German national team, the most promising defender Niklas Zule and the chic oporn Sebastien Ruda, who will try to replace Xabi Alonso.
What can I say about the best scorer of the club Andrei Kramariche, who deservedly started to be called in the national team of Croatia. Confident hitter's game promotes constant goals scored. Almost every second match, Andrew differs at the gate of an opponent. He has already scored 15 goals in 33 games.
Most of all, of course, happy that the success of Hoffenheim - a non-random thing. Julian Nagelsmann absolutely deservedly called the coach of the year in Germany in 2016 year. Who would have thought that the youngest coach in the history of the Bundesliga in the first season from the team of an outsider would make a contender for bronze medals (by the way, is not excluded and the theoretical chance for silver), bringing the village club into European cups for the first time in history? By the way, if Hoffenheim goes to the group stage of the Champions League, he will become the youngest coach of the tournament participant, beating the record of Victor Goncharenko from BATE.
Another interesting moment ... In the upcoming match with Dortmund for third place, the fans of Dynamo Kiev are forced to root for Borussia, as for Kiev it is desirable that Hoffe took fourth place. The fact is that in the coefficient table Dortmund is higher than Dynamo by rating, and Hoffe is lower, which means that Borussia can drive out Dynamo from sowing in the round of the Champions League play-offs. So the fate of Dynamo, including, is in the hands of Nagelsmann.
It seems that Dieter Hopp has finally found the man with whom he can confidently bring his Hoffenheim to the elite of German football, after all, preparing for the Champions League, he will only increase financial injections into the team.
Honestly, I'm sure that in the coming years Hoffe will confidently fight for European cups, and I really want this. Yes, this is a club without a rich history. Yes, he has a solid financial structure. Hopp never spoiled Hoffenheim with stars, paying more attention to his own academy. This team is good, above all, the team style of the game and the team spirit both on the field and outside it. Let's hope that this chip will bring the club a cloudless future for many years to come!.