The number of points scored by second division soccer team Hannover 96 this year is modest. The “Reds” only got one win in the second half of the season. On Friday, coach Stefan Leitl’s team welcomes promotion aspirants 1. FC Heidenheim. It is probably also about the future of the coach.
Stefan Leitl greets the journalists present with a friendly “Servus”. As always, he wears the black Hanover cap on his head, showing his identification with his employer. The 45-year-old trainer seems relaxed and prepared, despite the burgeoning discussion about himself.
Leitl answers the question about his well-being confidently with “I’m fine” and smiles away further thoughts. He is healthy, he continues, only to then go into the serious sporting situation: “It’s a situation that naturally gnaws at all of us, that goes without saying. Nevertheless, we always try to put energy into it and not move in the past , but also to look ahead and approach things with optimism.”
Leitl: “We have an open exchange”
96 sports director Marcus Mann had recently emphasized that he would stick to the constellation with Leitl. Leitl certainly knows what such statements are worth in the fast-paced professional business. “It’s not an easy situation for any of us, but we still have a lot of peace internally. I feel absolute support, we have an open and trusting exchange. But it’s also the case that we obviously need results.”
Hannover is playing a miserable second half
The second half of the season in Lower Saxony has already been given the “poor” stamp. After the long World Cup break, Hannover got completely off track and only scored 6 out of a possible 30 points. Last weekend, Leitl’s team lost 6-1 at Hamburger SV – the negative highlight of this calendar year. It was the heaviest defeat in Hannover’s second division history.
“It is of course the case that you have few arguments with the result,” admits Leitl. The game was reviewed and the question was asked: “What happened between the 57th and 90th minute because we simply gave up a good away game?” said the coach. His team fell apart in the second half in Hamburg.
Hanover and Heidenheim are worlds apart
A comparison with the upcoming opponent Heidenheim shows how weak the overall performance of 96 is this season. Before the most recent duel in the first half of the season, both teams were level on points, both had a strong 17 points after ten games. While Heidenheim is now on course for the Bundesliga, Hannover is struggling through the season. The distance to third in the table is now a proud 17 points.
“The Heidenheimers have positioned themselves and I assume that they want and will invest everything to take the big step towards the Bundesliga. It’s a team that has also consolidated over the years in the second division. The structure has always stayed together, including the trainer,” enthuses Leitl.
Heidenheim continuity
The father of Heidenheim’s success is called Frank Schmidt. He has been in office for 16 years, longer than any other coach in German professional football. For comparison: in these 16 years Hannover has worn out 14 coaches. Even number 15, Stefan Leitl, seems to be working on probation after the last series of failures. But he is self-critical: “Perhaps my approach after the first games after the winter break, which we couldn’t win, was to play too quickly, even easier; a bit away from your own philosophy. That was absolutely a mistake and I take responsibility for that .”
Tim Kleindienst: top scorer in the league
Leitl now puts it like a prayer wheel that his boys have to act “with joy” again, with “robustness” and above all “intensity” in running and in duels. The coach expects a “clear reaction” against Heidenheim on Friday evening (6.30 p.m., in the live center on NDR.de).
Defense chief Julian Börner would be an option again after the yellow card suspension to keep Heidenheim’s top scorer Tim Kleindienst (20 goals this season) in check. Should Hannover stumble 1. FCH, that will also help the two Hamburg clubs FC St. Pauli and HSV in the promotion race. But a win would probably help Stefan Leitl the most so that he can wear his 96 cap for longer.
Possible lineups:
Hannover 96: Zieler – Muroya, Börner, Neumann, Köhn – F. Kunze, Besuschkow – Schaub, S. Ernst – Nielsen, Beier
1. FC Heidenheim: Ke. Müller – Busch, Siersleben, P. Mainka, Föhrenbach – Maloney – Pick, Schöppner, Beste – Thomalla – Kleindienst
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sports club | 04/15/2023 | 14:00 clock
