‘Hoffe’ Vs. ‘Hoops’: TSG to line up against English club in pre-season

QPR finished 16th in the Championship this season, managed by former England boss, Steve McClaren. The 57-year-old is no stranger to the Bundesliga. McClaren managed VfL Wolfsburg during the 2010/11 season, and has also had spells at Premier League clubs Middlesbrough and Newcastle United.

Queens Park Rangers, who earned their ‘Hoops’ nickname due to their blue-and-white hooped kit, have their home in the heart of London and a proud history to look back on. Runners-up in the league in the 70s, FA Cup finalists in the early 80s as well as competing in the UEFA Cup in both decades are the highlights of the club’s success. Their history is, however, marred with a few relegations. After several years in the Premier League, QPR have played in the second division for the last three seasons.

Amongst the club’s investors are Formula 1 mogul Bernie Ecclestone, Italian sporting industry boss Flavio Briatore and Indian steel-magnate Lakshmi Mittal. The club also seems to attract famous musicians: Robin Smith from The Cure, Pete Doherty (the Babyshambles singer and former boyfriend of top model Kate Moss), Ian Gillan from Deep Purple and Genesis’ Phil Collins are all avowed QPR fans.

The match will be played at the home of VfB Eppingen, who won a competition to host a first-team pre-season friendly.

A week before the contest against Queen’s Park Rangers, Julian Nagelsmann’s team encounter their first test of the season. Fresh from a training camp in Garmisch, TSG face third-division outfit SpVgg Unterhaching on the 13th July (17:00 CEST) in Pöcking by Lake Starnberg.