Hoffenheim have reacted to a long-term injury to right-back Valentin Gendrey by acquiring the services of former West Ham United full-back Vladimír Coufal for the upcoming season.
Coufal, who has 55 caps for his country, made over 150 appearances for West Ham following his move from Slavia Prague in 2020, and played a key role in their 2022/23 UEFA Europa Conference League success.
“With Vladimir, we’ve signed a player who fits our profile and can immediately fill the gap (due to Gendrey’s injury),” said Hoffenheim sporting director Andreas Schicker.
“Due to his experience, he will need little time to adjust to our Bundesliga team. We are convinced that with his outstanding mentality and individual quality, he will be an ideal addition to our team next season.”
Coufal added: “After my years in England with West Ham United, I’m now looking forward to a new challenge in the German Bundesliga.
“The discussions with TSG were excellent, and for that reason, I didn’t have to think long about it. I’m convinced the team has great potential, and I want to help us achieve our goals as a team next season.”
Coufal will be welcomed at Hoffenheim by some familiar faces in the form of fellow Czechia internationals Adam Hložek and Robin Hranáč.
