achtzehn99 - Review 2009

June/July 2009

For the first few weeks of June, 1899 Hoffenheim was like a ghost town. After five weeks of well-earned rest, the team arrived on 29 June for six weeks of pre-season training with new signings Maicosuel, Chrsitian Eichner, Jens Grahl and Albert Alex in tow. Vedad Ibisevic, meanwhile, returned to training for the first time since his horrific injury suffered six months previously.

At the first training camp in Stahlhofen, the men in clue kicked off their preparations with a thumping 24-0 win over non-league Altendiez. Chinedu Obasi smashed home an impressive five, while goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand was also on the scoresheet as a makeshift defender. A 1-0 defeat against Sonnenhof Großasbach was followed by a 6-0 win over Germania Forst, before true tests against Greek giants Panathinaikos and Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce resulted in 1-0 and 2-1 wins respectively. July was rounded off by a 1-0 friendly defeat to Spanish club Getafe.