BERLIN, Feb 8 — American manager Pellegrino Matarazzo has been hired as head coach of Bundesliga side Hoffenheim until 2025, the club announced today.

Matarazzo re-joins Hoffenheim, where he was previously an assistant to current Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann, as well as a junior coach.

“Hoffenheim stands for attacking, courageous and crisp football,” the 45-year-old coach said in a statement released by the club.

Advertisement

“I would quickly like to get the team playing the football that has distinguished them over the years and which they have impressively demonstrated on the pitch this season already.”

The New Jersey-born manager was previously head coach of fellow Bundesliga side Stuttgart for three years, overseeing promotion to the top division.

Matarazzo was fired by Stuttgart in October, with the side winless and in the relegation places.

Advertisement

Matarazzo replaces former manager Andre Breitenreiter at Hoffenheim, who was sacked on Monday after a poor run of form saw them eliminated from the German Cup and embroiled in a relegation battle.

Hoffenheim sit 14th in the Bundesliga, having picked up seven points from their past 13 games.

Matarazzo played the majority of his career in the lower divisions in Germany, before starting a coaching career at Nuremberg. — AFP