Gross written premiums for the group, which includes HDI Gerling and Hannover Re, also increased 4% to €23.7bn, driven by all divisions except for Retail Germany, which saw a drop in life insurance.

Besides, pre-season is all about fitness and learning, and there was plenty for the Hearts boss to be satisfied with. He said: “I thought it was great, I was really pleased with it. You want to ...