Slomka returns to Bundesliga

(GSM) – Mirko Slomka makes his return to the Bundesliga on Sunday after almost two years away and he is looking to make an immediate impact with his new club Hannover.

Slomka was this week appointed as coach of his hometown club after they fired Andreas Bergmann following a sequence of results which has seen them slip into the bottom three of the Bundesliga.

Hannover have not won since last October and Slomka, who was sacked as coach of Schalke despite leading them to a club record Champions League quarter-final berth in 2008, admits time is running out to resolve their problems.

“We have got to cope with the pressure of being in a relegation battle,” he said.

“At the end of the day, we don’t have much time left. We will send out a team who will try passionately to win.

“We have got to try and release the handbrake from some of our players.”

That may be easier said than done, though, since Hannover have failed to win a game since Robert Enke took his life last November and the psychological after-effects of that tragic event continue to haunt his players.

But Slomka believes, by getting them focused on football, they will be able to come to terms with their emotions a bit better.

“My task is to prepare my team for matches based on their performance and I presume that players can cast these thoughts to one side when they go onto the field,” he said.

“My first impressions to that effect are positive.”

Hosts Mainz will also have a new face on the bench tomorrow, although their coach is still Thomas Tuchel.

Next to him, former Hannover midfielder Jan Simak will take his place in preparation for resurrecting his career once again.

“Mainz is a smaller club than Stuttgart, but that is precisely what I need,” said the Czech midfielder.

“There is more togetherness here and I need that. When I was in Hannover, I used to love playing Mainz and now I hope I can score for Mainz.”

The 31-year-old could still play a part against his former club tomorrow, although he is lacking match practice after being left out of Stuttgart coach Christian Gross’ plans since December.