Thomas Delaney: ”Football is life – but life is much bigger”

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1 May 2023, 07:16 yayınlandı

For 22 years, Thomas Delaney’s life revolved around just one club. After taking his first steps in the game at the age of three with top Danish outfit FC Copenhagen, he would go on to wear the white jersey of the capital-city club for more than two decades. “I always thought that my biggest goal in life was to become captain of FC Copenhagen,” Delaney says looking back. Delaney fulfilled this lifelong dream at the age of just 22. He stayed there a further three years before venturing abroad, even though the move to Werder Bremen was hardly a big leap, at least not geographically.

After stints at Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla, the midfielder has now landed in the Kraichgau, where he hopes to contribute through his stand-out qualities. “My game is always very intense, I look for the spaces, try to make my presence felt.” The experiences he has racked up from over 500 senior appearances will prove invaluable for TSG in the battle for Bundesliga survival.

But of all places, it was in his hometown and long-time home ground that Delaney experienced the most challenging moment of his footballing career. In the opening round of fixtures of the 2021 European Championship, Christian Eriksen collapsed to the ground – and was resuscitated by paramedics on the pitch. The team formed a screen to shield their teammate from view – the images of the emotionally distraught but united Danish players went around the globe. Delaney, renowned for the ambition of his youth, learned a valuable lesson: “Football is life – but life is much bigger than football.”

The April issue of SPIELFELD also features interviews with various other players, with a special focus on the relegation battle. Whether it’s former players such as Sejad Salihović or Benjamin Hübner, Lord Mayor Jörg Albrecht, sports stars such as tennis player Maximilian Marterer or fans and employees of TSG – all of them share a personal story with the club and offer encouragement to help the team through the challenging situation they currently face. Former TSG striker Sandro Wagner, for example, says: “The relegation battle can only be overcome together – and then you can draw strength from it for the next few years to really get things going again.”

Also included in the magazine: a look ahead to the U17 team’s bid for the German championship and a look back at TSG Hoffenheim’s first 500 matches in the Bundesliga. The 110-plus pages of the club magazine feature lots of other exciting information, insights and background information about TSG.