The TSG 1899 Hoffenheim professionals want to counter the personnel chaos at the top of the club during the week with three points against RB Leipzig. "It concerns the management level, the business side. We are the sport, that's our focus. We're sticking to the things we have to do," said coach Christian Ilzer ahead of the game against the Saxons on Saturday (3.30pm/Sky).
The disputes that arose from the different dealings with player consultant Roger Wittmann cost two managers their jobs. Of course, they were aware of all this and spoke about it briefly. "But we carried out our work on the training pitch. We are professionals, we want to continue our run and RB is standing in our way. That's important for us," said Ilzer.
Ilzer hopes for a good atmosphere in the arena
The Austrian is hoping for a good atmosphere in the stadium on Family Day - despite the turbulence. "We're not going in a bad direction in sporting terms. That's why I'm actually sure that the fans will support us. Now that we've broken our curse at home against Heidenheim, we're very keen to confirm this success," said the 48-year-old.
However, the opponent is a tough one. The Saxons have not lost since their heavy 6-0 opening defeat at Bayern Munich at the start of the season. Seven wins and a draw followed in the league and second place in the table. "That's an impressive run. Alongside Bayern, they are the team marching ahead," said Ilzer. Against this strong opponent, his team had to be on the ball and determined and also needed the necessary courage to defeat such a top team.
A 4:3 win in Ilzer's debut last year
Hoffenheim will go into the game with a lot of confidence. They have recently won three games and moved up to sixth place. "If you win three times in a row, why not a fourth?" said Ilzer. His debut in the pre-season almost exactly a year ago was a goal spectacle that TSG won 4:3.
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