The wet weather may have left a lot to be desired, but it did little to dampen the wonderful atmosphere at VfB’s training complex as Sebastian Hoeneß’s squad began their mid-season preparations in front of several hundred supporters, just 12 days after their final match of 2024.
Board member for sport Fabian Wohlgemuth and sporting director Christian Gentner were among the onlookers for the first training session of the new year. “It leaves an overwhelming impression,” a delighted Wohlgemuth said of the turnout. “We were expecting the feeling of euphoria to persist, but not necessarily in non-stop rain and what felt like sub-zero temperatures. A huge compliment and thank you to our fans.
“It’s also nice to see Deniz Undav, Jamie Leweling and Luca Raimund taking full part with their team-mates in our first session back on the pitch,” added the board member for sport. Injured trio Justin Diehl, Dan-Axel Zagadou and El Bilal, however, were absent for VfB’s return to training.
At 14:00 CET on Sunday 5 January, Hoeneß’s side take on record Dutch champions Ajax in their only friendly of the winter break.
