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TSG Hoffenheim and captain Oliver Baumann are continuing the joint path that they embarked upon around a decade ago. The 33-year-old goalkeeper has prematurely extended his contract in the Kraichgau, which expires at the end of this season, until June 30, 2026.
“Oliver Baumann is not only an identifiable figure and the record appearance-maker for our club, but also an example and a model professional who was and is an absolute guarantee of success for TSG with his consistently strong performances,” said Managing Director Alexander Rosen, adding: “For this reason, we are all the more delighted that our journey together is entering into its second decade. This is an exceptionally strong signal in professional football and in these fast-moving times. It shows mutual appreciation and deep trust. In nine of our 16 seasons in the Bundesliga to date, Oliver Baumann has been TSG’s undisputed No. 1. There is nothing that emphasises the performance, consistency and importance of this player for the club and the respective teams more,” emphasised Rosen. “Oli has been with us through all the highs and lows, has always been a leader and has always remained true to himself, although he has reinvented himself time and again as a goalkeeper. His hard work in training is legendary; with an almost inexhaustible number of new exercises, he is not only taking himself to a higher level. A number of young goalkeepers have grown by his side.”
“Oli is not only one of the strongest and most consistent goalkeepers in the league, but also a reliable leader. As captain, he is always a straight-talker internally and has thus made a significant contribution to the team’s development for many years,” commented Pirmin Schwegler, the Head of Professional Football at TSG. “Oli was, is and will remain an important cornerstone of our joint path. Being able to plan beyond next year with a total professional of this quality in this important position makes us proud and shows the special relationship between him and TSG.”
“The club have grown very close to my heart over the past few years and I feel enormously valued here, not only by those in charge but by the fans too. However, my close attachment is not only to TSG Hoffenheim but also to the entire Rhine-Neckar region, where I feel very much at home with my family,” said Baumann of his contract extension in Hoffenheim, before adding: “I’ve matured into a Germany international in Hoffenheim and have already played internationally here in the likes of the Europa League and Champions League. I think TSG offers the best conditions for me to continue my sporting development. We’ve achieved a lot as a team in recent years and I am convinced that we have an exciting shared future ahead of us – if we continue to pull together in this way.”
Oliver Baumann moved to the Kraichgau from league rivals SC Freiburg in July 2014 and has become TSG’s record appearance-maker with 342 competitive games to date. With 437 Bundesliga appearances in his career, he ranks third among the currently active players. In this distinguished group, only Manuel Neuer (480 games) and Thomas Müller (451) of FC Bayern have more appearances in Germany’s top flight. His personal statistics are even better: since his Bundesliga debut in May 2010, he has saved 12 of the 60 penalties he has faced. Baumann is also showing his great class this season, which is why he is a valued member of the Germany national team and can be hopeful of a call-up for the 2024 European Championships in his homeland.
In addition to his appearances in the Bundesliga, Baumann has played 26 games in the DFB-Pokal, eight matches in the Champions League and 18 times in the Europa League. In September 2020, he was called up to the Germany national team for the first time by then national team coach Joachim Löw.
