Tabaković: "Ilzer's teams were always greedier"

Haris, Christian Ilzer has been the coach at TSG Hoffenheim for almost a week. What's your first impression?

"A fresh wind is blowing. But that's also very normal when there's a change of coach. There's a new person there, there's a new approach. There was already a decent intensity to the first session. But I believe that it will increase day by day because not everything can be changed from one day to the next. But the first impressions are very good."

You already know Christian from the Austrian league. What do you think of his footballing philosophy?

"I lost all four matches against him in the league but scored three goals. So it was very good for me personally, but I would have liked to win against him with my team (laughs). For me, it was always amazing to see how energetic and greedy his teams were. It was a different level to the other teams. Every team wants to put in their best performance on the pitch, but he managed to make his teams even greedier. In that respect, his teams were a step ahead of the other clubs. He was full of energy on the bench and urged his team forwards. It's important for each and every one of us that we now get fully behind the new start with the new coaching team and bring that energy onto the pitch. Then I am 100% convinced we'll give a good account of ourselves and play energetic football. That's the goal for the management, but also for us players. So I'm really looking forward to the next few weeks."

You had to withdraw from duty with the national team. How are you doing?

"I sustained a slight injury but I'm assuming that it's nothing serious and that I can put myself forward as an option to the new coach as quickly as possible. Because I hold his footballing philosophy in very high regard."