Grillitsch’s Advice To Young Players: “Be Present At Negotiations As Often As Possible”

Hoffenheimer in an interview

Florian Grillitsch is almost part of the inventory at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. In his six-plus years in Kraichgau, the Austrian midfielder not only experienced carefree phases, but also got to know the dark side of the transfer world. Before the Bundesliga game at FC Augsburg (Sunday, 3:30 p.m.), Grillitsch talks in the Transfermarkt interview about his return to TSG, a wrong decision, the broken “huge deal” with AC Milan and his hopes for a big transfer and top -Talent Tom Bishop. The 29-year-old also stands up to his criticized father and gives young players some advice.

Transfer market: Mr. Grillitsch, you were on the ball for TSG between 2017 and 2022, after a moment of being without a club and a detour to Ajax Amterdam for almost a year, you have been back in Kraichgau since 2023. Can’t you get Hoffenheim from Florian Grillitsch or Florian Grillitsch from Hoffenheim?

Florian Grillitsch: A little bit of both. Julian Nagelsmann was the main reason for my move back then. As an aspiring coach, he reached fourth place with TSG in his first real professional year. And very successful years followed with the Europa League and Champions League. In 2022 I wanted to do something different, but that didn’t go so well. So I wanted to change and be somewhere where I didn’t need a long ramp-up time. Then I decided to return to TSG – I didn’t have to think about it for long.

Transfer market: You came back because you wanted to find your old strength after your time at Ajax, to emphasize your role in the Austrian national team and to regain the joy of football. Did you succeed?

Grillitsch: I think the plan worked. Last season was successful, we qualified for the Europa League. What not everyone expected because the previous year was difficult (with 12th place; editor). I played a lot of games and found the fun in football again. If you as a player can’t do what makes you happy, you run the risk of losing fun at work. It was the same with the national team. We made it to the group of death first, I played from the start. Unfortunately, in my opinion, we were sent home too early.

Transfer market: In the summer of 2023, you explained that you had examined “a variety of options for my sporting future” and had “fully decided to return to TSG”. After your turbulent summer of 2022 and the unsatisfactory Ajax year, did you feel that interest in you had decreased?

Grillitsch: Not necessarily. I had a few options at Ajax in the winter, but I decided to stay because I wanted to assert myself. It wasn’t easy at Ajax because after very successful years there was a sporting downturn and the coach was changed. The club was in a discovery phase and I joined late in preparation. That’s why it was difficult for me personally to gain a foothold. In the summer it was clear that something had to change. It wasn’t that I didn’t have any options. There were many interested parties, especially since I was a free transfer and had proven myself at the top level in the past. I felt wanted. (smiles)

Transfer market: In 2022, when you came onto the market for a free transfer after five years at Hoffenheim, Fiorentina, Galatasaray, West Ham and Brighton were under discussion – none of it worked out. You drew conclusions, changed the consulting agency from “ICM Stellar Sports” to “You First”, where you had already been, and your father took a back seat because he allegedly did not give a happy role in discussions with clubs. Was that the most nerve-wracking time of your career?

Grillitsch: In any case. Much of what was circulating in the media was far-fetched. It wasn’t true that my father made any demands. He had nothing to do with it. Back then I realized how unpleasant this football business can be. But I certainly wasn’t free from guilt. I don’t want to make any excuses.

TSG Hoffenheim: Grillitsch on advice to young players and “huge thing” AC Milan

Transfer market: What responsibility do you assign to yourself?

Grillitsch: I made the wrong decision back then when I changed my advisor. If I could go back in time, I would do it differently today. But that is ultimately a thing of the past. I have Thomas Böhm at my side again, who I was with when I was young.

Transfer market: You said you learned your lessons from what happened. Are you now moving more cautiously in this business or have you changed something else?

Grillitsch: I have a completely different level of trust in my current management. And if I can give any advice to young players: you should be present at discussions or negotiations as often as possible. So that you can hear and notice things for yourself. There’s so much money at stake in football that things don’t always go right. I learned that.

Transfer market: About your unfortunate Ajax chapter you said: “You are always wiser in hindsight. But I would make the same decision again today.” In addition to changing advisors, were there any decisions in your career that you regret?

Grillitsch: Actually not. I went to Werder as a young player, made my debut relatively quickly and had a great time there. Then I made the good move to TSG and gained my first experience with the national team. What got in between was Corona. At this time, a move to a bigger club would have been a good move. After the European Championships in 2021, I would have had the opportunity to do that with AC Milan. That would have been a huge deal for me, but unfortunately the club rejected it.

Transfer market: You later said with a laugh that you were “a little bit” angry about 2022. How concrete was the affair with Milan really?

Grillitsch: When a club like that comes knocking, of course they want to do it. In my opinion there aren’t many bigger clubs in the world. That was really concrete back then. But the clubs didn’t come to an agreement, so it was over. I was a little angry and disappointed. But that is in the past.

Transfer market: Do you think an opportunity like Milan will come again for you?

Grillitsch: You should never say never. I certainly hope so. It’s also up to me.

Transfer market: You will turn 30 in August 2025. Your contract is dated until June 2026. Would mean: Either you extend your contract and climb further up the club’s record player statistics (currently 9th place) or TSG could collect another transfer fee for you. Which model will it come down to after this season?

Grillitsch: I don’t rule out both. I’m not worried or under any pressure at the moment. If an interesting club came along, we would certainly get together. You would have to see what the viewpoints are from all sides.

Transfer market: Are you satisfied with the way your career has gone so far or could there have been more?

Grillitsch: Basically it was and is a good path. If the Milan move had worked out, I might have been even happier at this point (smiles). But I’m happy, after all, I played over 200 Bundesliga games, was in the Champions League and Europa League, and played almost 50 international matches. You can’t complain about that.

Now I think that maybe I want to be a coach after all.

Transfer market: After your professional career, do you want to stay in the football business, which you viewed critically, or would you like to move into another area?

Grillitsch: When I was younger, I always said that I didn’t want to have anything to do with football anymore. Now I think that maybe I want to be a coach after all. But I don’t know whether this should happen at the top level or whether I want to pass on my experience to young people. That will all become apparent. I still have a few years until then.

Transfer market: TSG Hoffenheim’s season is going below expectations. In your opinion, what are the reasons for this?

Grillitsch: Things were very turbulent for us during the summer break. Nobody knew at the time what would happen next. We got the team together relatively late, which was difficult at the start of the season. The development of the last few weeks is correct if we exclude the lost game against St. Pauli. Eight points after nine match days is of course clearly not enough. We have to win our games, especially at home.

Unrest at TSG Hoffenheim: It was “not always easy” for Grillitsch & Co.

Transfer market: TSG has not been known for major turbulence in the past. Things were different with the internal quarrels in recent months. As a long-time and experienced player, how much did that bother you?

Grillitsch: Actually, TSG has always stood for a calm environment in which you can develop well. In the end it wasn’t always easy. I, who have been there for a while, get a bit more out of it than a young player.

Transfer market: What performance would be a success after the unsuccessful start to the season?

Grillitsch: In the current situation, it would be presumptuous to speak of international places. We have to stabilize our performance. Then we will also get results and collect points. We are still represented in the Europa League and the DFB Cup and have a lot of games. We lost some important players due to injuries. You have to put that aside first. But we are d on the right track – and we are not satisfied.

Transfer market: In their first year at Hoffenheim in 2017/18, TSG finished third under Julian Nagelsmann and then experienced their premiere in the Champions League. Is something like this possible again for the club in the near future or has the train left for now?

Grillitsch: I definitely believe that this will be possible again in the future when calm returns and we continue on our path. There are always great talents coming up. Tom Bischof is a good example, he has done great recently. He could bring the club a lot of money one day and take the next step. That is the way of the TSG. It may not be enough to reach the top, but the potential to attack the European places is definitely there.

Interview: Philipp Marquardt