A newcomer with many talents

Angelo Stiller has been operating undercover since his arrival at TSG. The 20-year-old has a secret - and has told any of his teammates about it. No one has ever been suspicious of the Munich-born Stiller when he silently listens in to Andrej Kramarić and Ermin Bičakčić's conversations in Croatian. The background to the eavesdropping lies in the family: Angelo's mother is Croatian, Stiller has therefore acquired some knowledge of the proverbial mother tongue - and, as he reveals with a mischievous smile in his interview with SPIELFELD,  he regularly tests it out in Hoffenheim: "My grandparents are Croatians and emigrated from Croatia to Munich shortly before my mother was born. She therefore speaks fluent Croatian. When she talks in her mother tongue, I at least always understand what she's trying to tell me. It's similar with Andrej." But it's befitting of the Bavarian's shy nature that he chose not to announce this talent to his teammates. "It doesn't really make sense if I say that my family is from Croatia but that I don't speak the language myself."

His reserved manner in the dressing room gives way to presence and leadership on the pitch - despite his young age. Here, Stiller is transformed from a quiet listener into a playmaker assured in possession. Hiding behind his experienced colleagues is not an option for Stiller. He has proved this much in his performances in a Hoffenheim jersey so far - securing both the respect of his teammates and coach. "He has incredible tactical skills in the centre of midfield. Angelo can read and dictate the game from the number six position," says head coach Sebastian Hoeness, who Stiller followed to the Kraichgau from the Bayern Munich U23s after one year. Since then, Stiller has experienced a rapid rise at Hoffenheim. The transition from the third to the top tier of German football has gone seamlessly. Immediately after making the move, he was involved in big games in the the DFB-Pokal and Bundesliga - partly, but not entirely down to absences in midfield. "I got off to a great start. I played in all of the opening games, which is something I didn't expect," says Stiller. This was followed by a short "dry spell" in the Bundesliga, as he describes the period between matchdays 4 and 8. Stiller then celebrated his "mini-comeback" against his former club after five games of watching on from the bench in the league. This was something the German youth international had to get used to, as he had always been a starter before and had grown accustomed to a certain level of success. The way he processed this unfamiliar set of circumstances was thus somewhat surprising: "I'm new here and still very young. You're learning all the time in situations like this. I emerged from this period stronger than before, even though I didn't get any playing time.'' 

''He has incredible tactical skills in the centre of midfield. Angelo can read and dictate the game from the number six position.'' Sebastian Hoeness

Angelo Stiller appears composed. His confidence in his own abilities is huge - as is his desire to improve. He made the most of the weeks on the bench to work on his game, as he demonstrated in the team's second-round DFB-Pokal win. The 5-1 win over Holstein Kiel marked the highlight of his time in Hoffenheim: he scored his first goal for TSG against the second-tier team and was rewarded for his good performance with the "Man of the Match" award. "He was the guiding hand in midfield, winning the ball, distributing it and trying to keep the defence in shape as best he could," wrote "SWR" in their evaluation of the midfielder's performance.

Stiller also exudes confidence off the pitch. Relaxed and self-assured, always friendly - and never arrogant. He seems to have well and truly arrived in the Kraichgau region after spending his entire life in Munich. In his hometown, he got to live the dream of almost every football-loving youngster in the Bavarian capital: in 2010, at the age of nine, Stiller moved from his local club, TSV Milbertshofen, to the youth team of the German record champions Bayern Munich. At U14 level, he changed position from number ten to become a deep-lying midfielder and then went on to represent the club in all youth categories up to the U23s.

His consistent performances soon attracted the attention of the Munich first team. After making his senior debut in the DFB-Pokal, the current Germany coach Hansi Flick gave him a first taste of Champions League action: in December 2020, Stiller turned out for Bayern in their match away to Atlético Madrid in Europe's elite club competition. His debut at the highest level had a happy ending: "That was something really special. When Hansi Flick asked me to warm up, the tension grew within me. But everything went well, we even managed to get a 1-1 draw thanks to a late goal," recalls Stiller. Suddenly, what once seemed like an impossible dream in the U19s seemed feasible: to become the first Munich-born regular for Bayern since Thomas Müller. But like so many of the young talents on the books at Bayern, Stiller soon realised that although the incredible concentration of elite players in Munich may be beneficial in training, it doesn't usually result in much playing time; after his Champions League debut, he only played five more minutes for the first team. He waited in vain to make his first Bundesliga appearance in the red jersey. "I never really got a chance," says Stiller looking back. In the summer of 2020, Bayern signed Marc Roca and Thiago Dantas, two expensive competitors for his position. "Of course I was shocked," admits Stiller, "It was like a slap in the face.''

At TSG, on the other hand, he immediately saw the "perfect conditions" to establish himself as a regular. "I knew that Hoffenheim focus on young players. In addition, they play good football here and I have the chance to grow as a player. That's why the switch wasn't difficult for me at all." Stiller wanted to make it in the top flight, to take the next step in his career: "The £. Liga is already very professional, but at Bayern you are still only a second-string player. Things are different here, you receive far more attention. This is the Bundesliga, the stakes are high. That's why I enjoy it so much." 

After making the step-up to the Bundesliga, Stiller reached another milestone in September. The Germany coach at the time, Stefan Kuntz, called him up for the U21 national team for the first time. "I am now an integral part of the team, and that's something I'm very proud of ," says Stiller, who has already contributed three scorer points in his six games for the Germany youth side so far. He is set to remain part of the team under new coach Antonio Di Salvo. Despite his excellent debut - both with the national team and TSG - he remains cautious when it comes to setting goals: "First and foremost, I want to develop as best I can. To do that, it's important that I play a lot. And as soon as I get a chance, I want to take it. We'll see what happens after that." But for all his hidden talent, Angelo Stiller has categorically ruled out the possibility of travelling for international duty alongside Andrej Kramarić in future: "I have never once thought about playing for Croatia. I'm concentrating fully on TSG and I'm very happy here and in the Germany U21 team.''