Football Season Guide

Hannover enjoyed a decent return to Bundesliga last season, finishing in a fairly comfortable 13th place though a second half slump in form almost dragged them into a late relegation fight. An excellent first half of the season had raised hopes of a surprising challenge for a European qualification spot, but André Breitenreiter was unable to prevent his side sliding down the table in the second half of the campaign though Hannover did just enough to stay clear of the relegation zone. Hannover will be kicking the new season off as one of the favorites to be involved in the relegation fight, and Breitenreiter will be aware his side needs another good start to the campaign if they are to meet the pre-season expectations, and once again finish well away from the bottom three. The key to their survival will be improving their defensive displays with Hannover conceding 54 goals last season, the third worst defensive record: only Freiburg conceded more goals and managed to avoid relegation. To make matters worse for Breitenreiter, they will be heading into the new campaign without their key defender after selling Saif Sane to Schalke. Felix Klaus and Martin Harnik have also left the club despite playing a key role in Hannover's survival last season, while Jonathas' move to the club did not work according to plan and the striker has since been sent out on loan to Corinthians. Breitenreiter has bolstered his defence by converting Josip Elez's loan deal from HNK Rijeka into a permanent transfer, while also signing Kevin Wimmer on loan from Stoke City. The duo will be crucial to Hannover's fortunes this season along with Walace who has been signed from Hamburg, and will be providing some much needed solidity in the defensive midfield position. Breitenreiter has also looked to strengthen his attack, with Genki Haraguchi, Bobby Wood and Takuma Asano all arriving, the last two on loan deals, though Niclas Fullkrug will continue to be the first choice striker after top scoring with 16 goals last season. While Hannover have lost three key players during the transfer window, they have made decent acquisitions, and should once again finish above the bottom three though consistency will be crucial for their survival hopes.