Bulinews Player of the Season Awards: TSG Hoffenheim's Player of the Season | OneFootball

TSG Hoffenheim endured an unusually poor season for their standards considering they finished in the Europa League places the previous campaign. There’s no doubt it will be a season may fans of the Sinsheim club will hope to forget, from player outbursts on television to controversy circling behind the scenes amongst the hierarchy. Coupled with Christian Ilzer’s rather uninspiring football, they could have found themselves in a relegation spot.

Fortunately for their sake, the club could rely almost solely on the experience and gifted feet of Andrej Kramarić. The Croatian has just completed his ninth campaign with Die Kraichgauers and is showing no signs of slowing down either at the age of 33. Even in an underwhelming season, he managed to find the net on 11 occasions and set up a further 8 goals for teammates in 32 matches.

Needless to say, Kramarić was the individual involved in the television outburst regarding the club’s management, but can he be blamed? Firstly, his talent speaks for itself with a beautiful range of passing, great positional awareness and a clear eye for goal. Had he not demanded higher standards, Hoffenheim may well have been a stone sinking to the 2.Bundesliga.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCE:

Although Kramarić played pivotal roles in several games this season, his Matchday 1 show in the 3-2 win over newly promoted Holstein Kiel topped the lot. After Marius Bülter collided with Timon Weiner to win a penalty, Kramarić remained ice cool to brush it into the lower-right corner. Shortly past the hour, the 33-year-old made a short run to head home his second from a Bülter cross.

Although the visitors cut the deficit by a goal around the hour mark, Hoffenheim continued to create chances at the other end. A counterattack enabled Jakob Bruun-Larsen to try his luck from range. The Dane’s shot was parried, but like any good forward, Kramarić followed up to fire the rebound into a half-empty net to bag the hat-trick.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

Two other Hoffenheim players received two votes each for their endeavours – Tom Bischof made the midfield his own while scoring 5 goals and assisting 2 as Bayern Munich secured his services for next season. Oliver Baumann made over 100 saves across the campaign which kept the Sinheimers in games at times. Meanwhile, Marius Bülter also received a vote for his 7 goals and 2 assists from the left flank.