Zebra coach in an interview
© Imago
The MSV Duisburg is currently hovers on the wave of success. After returning to the 3rd division, the zebras impressed with successful offensive football right from the start. After eight league porties, Duisburg with 22 points stands at the top of the table, quite a few dreams of march into the lower house. One of the fathers of this success is head coach Dietmar Hirsch-transfer market hit the 53-year-old for an interview.
Dietmar Hirsch does not currently have much time for his family, the coach admits in the TM conversation. Nevertheless, he tries to use the few moments and free time slots to devote them to his wife. “The coaching profession cannot be compared with a classic profession. If you have problems or worries, you do not leave them in the office or in the workshop, but very often take them home. I find it incredibly important to have a balance – and in my case it means family. Here I find my strength and the opportunity to draw new energy,” explains the trainer, who is currently on and next to the square as rarely.
The latter is primarily due to the good start of the season, which the promoted Duisburg put on and thus hired several records. However, Hirsch’s team has noticed the neutral viewer even more than the successful points yield in the past few weeks due to their impressive offensive football. “Success only occurs if you can win and convince people. I want not only an access to the athlete, but also an access to humans. Behind the professional is still a person. Today’s generation also wants to be taken away. who tear themselves up for the club and the jersey.
To implement a game philosophy, which usually does not happen overnight. Depending on the perspective, the Hirsch, who started in the summer of 2024, had the best or worst conditions. After the traditional club in the 2023/24 season was surprised by many the relegation in the 3rd division and had to compete in Regionalliga West, the survival of the MSV was on the brink, the coach also knows.
“When I signed here, the club only had a handful under contract. So we started completely at zero. But I knew what I got involved with, I really wanted to get this job. I personally did not feel any pressure because I have got used to the pressure that is generally in football. But of course the expectation was extreme, even the pressure. Ex-Bundesliga professional, who once laced his shoes for the zebras.
Hirsch turned up a lot in Duisburg, which quickly wore fruit. The team sparked an euphoria with its performance in the fourth division. With an average of over 16,300 visitors per home game, the club even set a new record. “There were a few highlights in the season. Starting with our first away game in Gütersloh. The stadium was completely blue and white. There was also a fan march in front of 18,000 spectators-and I only thought: What’s going on here, what’s going on here? After the 0: 2 defeat against Oberhausen, we delivered when we started a success series And our real face.
At MSV Duisburg it is currently running round after climbing to the 3rd division.
Duisburg coach Hirsch: MSV love gets under your skin
A look at the two upper arms of the chief coach illustrates: his love for MSV Duisburg gets under your skin. “With me one can speak of the classic tattoo addiction. Actually, I had sworn to never let my legs and arms tattooed. In the end it turned out differently. The MSV tattoo came out of the background that I had the bet with a tattoo artist when we climb up, let the coat of arms stab. City.
For Hirsch, Duisburg and the West are more than just his current employer. This is also reflected in the fact that he can almost memorize the Ruhrpott cult film “Bang Boom Bang”, he says with a smile. “The people in the Ruhr area are honest, direct and open. If you go to the pub alone, you won’t stay alone at your table. My love for ‘Bang Boom Bang’ stirs that I shared a room with Markus Beierle during my player time. We watched this film on every away trip or every training camp. Horny film. “
Dietmar Hirsch himself played 203 competitive games for the MSV Duisburg.
Hirsch embodies the type coach, which many fans in professional football want: a coach that comes through the emotions that says from the heart what he thinks. Above all, he is one who has had an incredible amount of experience in his active career. He completed over 400 games in German professional football. He particularly likes to remember a game. “My absolute highlight, even if it was a defeat, was the DFB Cup final with the MSV 1998 against Bayern Munich. If you consider that I was still playing district league at the age of 18, 19, the game,” said Hirsch, who continues with a view of the old days: “At my time there were some rustic and cult stadiums when I was a guest in my time The Bökelberg, a real cauldron, was and is also a stadium in which the hut was and is not at all, that was cold, and unfortunately it was always a good mood there. “
But as very deer is currently celebrated, he knows as much as it is when nobody is interested in you. After his active career, he briefly worked as a sporting director for VfB Lübeck before driving his coaching career. But at stations such as Elversberg, Oldenburg or Kassel, no sustainable success did not want to be sustainable. “You will learn exactly who you can and who cannot rely on in the failure. Compared to my player time, I have become more careful today. I actually only have a handful of friends with whom I don’t necessarily talk about football. Of course I made mistakes in my coaching career or made decisions that turned out to be mistakes. But I am not one of the people who have decided afterwards. ‘ I made every decision consciously and this decision shaped me as a person and trainer. As is well known, he landed at MSV Duisburg about his successful work at the 1st FC Bocholt, with whom he became runner -up in the Regionalliga West.
Duisburg coach Hirsch: Humanity before tactics and training course
The fact that Hirsch is so well received by fans, as with his players, is due to two values that are incredibly important to him – trust and authenticity. “You cannot succeed without principles and values. I’ve heard lately, I would be a human catcher, but I don’t see myself. I just treat people as I would like to be treated by others. For me, humanity is still facing tactics, game philosophy or training. One. and where success is not far away, “explains the coach and moves up:” Unfortunately, the money is more important than the pure success. However, I think that money should never be the main motivation, but always the joy of doing. It was never my drive feather. “
But how exhausting is it generally for a trainer if it is not measured based on the performance data or development steps of its players, but only based on victories and titles? “A few years ago, a friend asked me who was the best coach for me. This question is easy and difficult to answer at the same time. First and foremost, every success is different and according to success. Is a trainer who wins the Champions League now really a better coach than someone who can achieve the promotion to the Bundesliga with his team? See it with us as a promotion.
The first fans are already dreaming of promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga. Hirsch also wants to assess the season realistically. “There is nothing better for me to be a coach at the MSV. With Marvin Höner (co-trainer, d. Red.), Michael Preetz (managing director, i.e. red.) And Chris Schmoldt (sporting director, i.e. red.) I have three absolute experts at my side with whom I like to work. The 3rd league, everything is possible here.
Text and interview: Henrik Stadnischenko