Mathis makes Hannover return
Clint Mathis increased his frequent flyer miles on Thursday after rejoining German club Hannover 96 in order to win a contract with the Bundesliga side.
The US international flew from the North East of England to Turkey in order to join Hannover at the team's winter break training camp.
After spending much of this week at the English First Division side Sunderland, Mathis left without an offer from The Black Cats in favour of a reported pending deal with the AWD-Arena side.
While Mathis' English agent Daniel Baldwin has been quoted in several English newspapers that a contract offer has been offered and accepted, the club itself has not tipped its hand by announcing a completed deal.
The former New York/New Jersey MetroStars man also has competition to land a deal with the German side.
Russian striker Vladimir But and hit-men Ioannis Amandatidis (Stuttgart) and Paul Agostino (1860 Munich) are also objects of Hannover's desire.
But is more a playmaking midfielder, while Amandatidis and Agostino are more classical quick forwards that could drop back into an attacking midfield role.
Hannover has two friendlies in the upcoming days against German Second Division sides Alemannia Aachen and SpVgg Unterhaching.
Mathis should see action in both games, with common sense pointing to a start in at least one match in order to impress Hannover's brass further.
Hannover resumes their Bundesliga campaign on February 1st at home against Hamburg and with the club to be without strikers Thomas Christiansen and Thomas Brdaric, manager Ralf Rangnick needs to boost his injury-plagued squad on the pitch and repair strained relations off of it.
Rangnick and Hannover's sport director Ricardo Moar have never seen eye to eye on things, and the failed move for defender Faysal El-Idrissi has only widened the proverbial gulf between the duo.
Moar blocked the move for El-Idrissi, who was wanted by Rangnick to bolster a somewhat weak Hannover backline.
Their strained relationship may affect a move for Mathis, with Rangnick having been quoted on a few occasions regarding Mathis with very kind, complimentary things while Moar has been relatively quiet after Clint's first stay with Hannover last week.
