Kaderabek’s farewell goal?

Pavel Kaderabek scored a spectacular goal for Hoffenheim. IMAGO/DeFodi Images

Pavel Kaderabek is already in his tenth season with TSG. The Czech has made 284 competitive appearances for Hoffenheim and has scored 18 goals to date. The celebrated 2-2 draw against Dortmund on Saturday, which the Prague native scored with a stunning header and briefly gave his team dreams of a crucial point, was the winger's first goal of the season. And possibly his farewell goal on his farewell tour.

Kaderabek's contract expires after this season. The club has suspended talks about a further contract extension until relegation is finally secured. However, TSG has been well away from that goal since Saturday, suffering a bitter blow with the late 2-3 defeat to Borussia Dortmund .

The Kraichgau club hasn't come any closer to achieving its minimum goal of this memorable season, but Kaderabek may have come one step closer to signing with TSG again. While another drastic personnel cut is looming at Hoffenheim, it should come as no surprise that the now 33-year-old's career is nearing its end.

On the other hand, Kaderabek is a deserving, long-standing regular, highly respected within the club and team, who isn't known for being a difficult character and would likely accept a less prominent role without complaint. Furthermore, rival Valentin Gendrey recently suffered a serious injury (broken collarbone) and is out for an indefinite period. It will be just as interesting to see how this personnel issue turns out, as it will be for other Kaderabeks' compatriots.

Four Czech players are currently under contract at Hoffenheim. In addition to Kaderabek, left-back David Jurasek, on loan from Lisbon, and center-back Robin Hranac, who has yet to find his stride, also have to worry about their futures and prospects at Hoffenheim. Record signing Adam Hlozek , who joined from Leverkusen before the season for a base transfer fee of €18 million, is beyond any doubt.

Alongside Kaderabek, Jurasek and Hlozek also played key roles against Dortmund. Hlozek, in his first start since his foot surgery, scored his impressive seventh goal of the season to make it 1-1. And Jurasek delivered the perfectly timed cross that Kaderabek fired into the far corner to make it 2-2, a true Czech product of wing-play. Even Hranac was in the starting lineup again and briefly looked set to be substituted. We'll see how many Czechs play for TSG next season.