FC Managing Director, Christian Keller said: “Jeff didn’t have an easy start at FC and has made a very strong step in his development – especially since the Winter Break. He is now a stabilising factor in our defence and fits very well into our team as a person. We are really pleased that we could sign him permanently. In this context, we want to thank Sampdoria for the constructive, professional transfer discussions.”

The attack came short this game and was simply not clinical enough, and the defense could certainly have been better, but playing Gladbach away is in itself a daunting task. Hoping for a win is just stupidity at this point. The great lord Hansi, who won the sextuple in that historic 2019-20 season, couldn’t get a win against Gladbach away in his tenure. Coaches throughout Bayern’s history have struggled with this fixture. Playing them for the entire game with just 10 men is just sad.

For almost 24 years, Christiane Rienesl pulled all the strings. When she started out as an administrative assistant at TSG Hoffenheim headquarters on 1 October 1999, the club was still playing in the Verbandsliga Nordbaden and competing against the likes of SG Dielheim, SV Sinsheim and FC Bammental. Hardly anyone at the club has accompanied TSG Hoffenheim’s rise as closely and in as senior a role as Christiane Rienesl, who has been the club’s security representative since 2005 and also managed the office of managing director Frank Briel for over a decade. But official titles and positions do not sufficiently describe her impact.

6 RBL wins in a row against SVW | 2-1 win earlier in the season | Promoted side Werder almost safe | League top scorer Füllkrug a doubt for the game

The Zerofivers ended their six-month wait for an away victory with a 2-1 win against Hertha BSC at the Olympiastadion in their final away fixture of the season. “It was about time we enjoyed an away win,” matchwinner Stefan Bell was a very pleased man after full-time. “Our team put in a terrific performance,” commented board member Christian Heidel following the victory in the capital, which led to rapturous celebrations between the team and the travelling support at the Olympiastadion after the final whistle blew.

Ahead of VfB hosting Bayer Leverkusen in the team’s penultimate home game of the season, Genki Haraguchi looks ahead to Sunday’s clash.

Defender Katja Orschmann and Sandra Weihmann have been nominated for the female category of the Berlin Footballer of the Year award.

Kilian Fischer joined VfL from second-division side 1. FC Nürnberg prior to the start of the current season. On Matchday 12 the 22-year-old made his Bundesliga debut with a brief appearance off the bench against Bochum, before being handed his first start on Matchday 22 against 1. FC Köln.  

Their 2-1 loss against Leeds on Saturday evening was their first loss at Anfield in the league since March 2021.

Lena Degenhardt, who is most comfortable on the left-hand side of the back court, has signed a contract with BVB until the end of the 2024/25 season. Following her time as a youth player, the Albstadt native played for