First training with 4 new faces
About one and a half months since the end of the last season, this Thursday signalled the start of preparations for the new season. The four new boys: Vladimir Rankovic (FC Bayern München 2), Stefan Thesker, Kenan Karaman, Joselu (all TSG 1899 Hoffenheim) were all present. The fifth addition Miiko Albornoz, however, is still on duty at the World Cup with the Chilean national team who play Brazil on Saturday. After that, the 23-year-old will be allowed a well-earned holiday before he joins the squad in Hannover. The other World Cup participants were also missing from the training session. Lars Stindl and Florian Ballas were the other two absentees, though there is no need to worry as they are only suffering from light bouts of the flu.


Head coach Tayfun Korkut with the new additions Vladimir Rankovic, Kenan Karaman, Joselu and Stefan Thesker

Training in three groups
Tayfun Korkut has divided the players into three training groups and plans to “Use the first three days to test the players in certain ways” in this fashion. Following the absences of a number of key players through injury last season, the 40-year-old is hoping for a trouble-free pre-season training. “We hope to get through our preparations without any injury problems”. Korkut’s target is: “To start this season as we ended the last” and the coach has one and a half months to accomplish this. Longer than in the comparatively short winter break. Korkut sees this as a great opportunity to: “Integrate the new players and optimize a number of things”.

Radlinger returns
In the Hannover goal there was both a new and a recognised face to be seen. Samuel Radlinger returned after a year with Rapid Wien and German U17’s keeper Timo Königsmann took part in his first senior training session. No longer present however was Salif Sane: The defender is now training with the U23 team due to disciplinary reasons after Korkut “recognised a number of instances of misconduct” from him in the last six months. Adrian Nikci, Ali Gökdemir and Knstantin Fuhry are also training with the U23 side for the forseeable future.

The players training in smaller training groups