Some 11 months after going off on an unforgettable tirade against his Bundesliga club of over a decade, Croatian striker Andrej Kramaric is back feeling fully at home at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. After being used off the bench in Hoffenheim’s last two league fixtures, Kramaric was gifted a chance to start at center forward on Saturday in commemoration of his 300th Bundesliga appearance for the Kraichgauer.
Kramaric was in high spirits after his team dominated Hamburger SV in a 4-1 home victory. The win – at least temporarily – placed Hoffenheim back in the top four. Leverkusen were able to push Hoffenheim back to fifth place on goal differential following their home win in the late match. Kramaric’s Sinsheimers nevertheless remain on course to capture the Champions League place many tipped them to claim at the beginning of the season.
“It was a special game and I enjoyed the team’s top class football,” Kramaric told Sky Germany. “I’ve always said that, if everyone remains healthy, we can achieve something quite special. [And by special] I definitely mean the Champions League. Let me state that quite clearly.“
Will Andrej Kramaric be with Hoffenheim next Season?
Whether or not the 34-year-old – who is sitting on an expiring contract – will be around to enjoy Champions League football with Hoffenheim next season remains to be seen. Kramaric left his future open. The 112-times-capped Croatian international certainly never expected to be with the club as long as he has in the first place. Every time his contract was up for renewal, rumors linking him with other clubs abroad abounded.
Kramaric always and unexpectedly extended. It could very much prove the case that the club he always opted to remain loyal to in the end will grant him another year with a pathway to a generous pension. Kramaric officially became the Bundesliga’s all-time leading Croat scorer in 2021 and may have much more to add to his awe-inspiring living record of 129 German top flight tallies.
“I hope to enjoy football for many years to come,” Kramaric told Sky “We’ll see how, where, and when, because there are some things we have to accept. I never dreamed that I would be here for ten years, that I would be a TSG legend or, as many say, a ‘TSG [Greatest of All Time] GOAT’. That’s something special to me.“
