Babbel joins Hoffenheim

Babbel replaces Holger Stanislawski, who was sacked after Hoffenheim were knocked out of the DFB-Pokal in the quarter-finals by second-division side Greuther Furth.

Babbel will lead his first training session in Hoffenheim on Friday (local time) to prepare the team for their trip to Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Sunday morning (AEDT).

It is Babbel's third station in the Bundesliga having previously led Hoffenheim's local rival from the bottom three into Europe.

Last season, he led Hertha back into the top flight before stalling over a contract extension just before Christmas and being relieved of his duties for refusing to commit to the club beyond the end of the current season.

He takes his long-time assistant Rainer Widmayer to Hoffenheim with him.

His immediate goal will be to end an alarming run of results which has seen Hoffenheim win just one of its last 10 Bundesliga encounters.