TSG start winter preparations

The break was brief, the ball is in motion again in Zuzenhausen: TSG Hoffenheim started training on Tuesday, with head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo welcoming 21 players for the restart. The long-term injury absentees Mergim Berisha and Marco John plus Anton Stach (cold) were back. Bambasé Conté, Dennis Geiger and Wout Weghorst trained individually. U17 World Cup winner Max Moerstedt – who will complete the preparations with the first team but initially still play for the U19s – was involved too.

Amid unfavourable weather conditions, the TSG team got underway in front of 50 spectators at 15:00 CET. After some initial relaxed warm-up exercises, the ball entered the fray. The team subsequently took time to fulfil the fans' autograph and selfie wishes.

"The batteries are recharged. I had a lovely time with my family. Now we're ready for football again. The lads made a good impression in the first training session," said Pellegrino Matarazzo following the first training session of the year.

This week will also see TSG hold a public training session at 11:00 CET on both Wednesday (3 January) and Thursday (4 January). Hoffenheim will then contest their only friendly match of the winter preparations when they pay a visit to FC Augsburg on Saturday (6 January / 13:00 CET). They will then kick off the 2024 Bundesliga action away to FC Bayern Munich on 12 January (Friday / 20:30 CET).