By Roberto Lamprecht and Paul Gorgas
Sandro Schwarz (43) is the new Hertha coach and will succeed rescuer coach Felix Magath (68). The former Mainz coach has a contract until 2024. His previous job in Russia did not play a decisive role.
Manager Fredi Bobic (50): “He’s on fire and really up for Hertha BSC.”
Schwarz, who was also interested in Schalke, is also happy: “I really want to help shape the restart at Hertha.”
Hertha managing director Fredi Bobic hopes for better times under black Photo: nordphoto GmbH / Engler
Most recently, Schwarz worked as a coach for Dynamo Moscow, finished third in the league and won the runners-up cup. He has now prematurely terminated his contract until 2024. Schwarz brings assistant coach Volkan Bulut (40) and video analyst Daniel Fischer (28) to Berlin.
Explosive: In contrast to his German coaching colleagues Daniel Farke (45 / Krasnodar) and Markus Gisdol (52 / Lok Moscow), Schwarz did not leave Russia immediately after Putin’s war of aggression. Didn’t Hertha have any political concerns?
Hertha BSC
Manager Bobic when asked by BZ: “It didn’t matter because we know his clear position on this subject and his sense of responsibility towards the people he works with.”
What Bobic means: Schwarz initially thought of resigning in Moscow. But because his club took a stand against Putin’s policy (striker Fedor Smolov (32) was one of the first Russian professionals to publicly speak out against the war), Schwarz decided not to let his players down. For this he received encouragement from his Ukrainian assistant coach and ex-Hertha star Andriy Voronin (42).
Ex-Hertha star Andrej Voronin worked as an assistant coach under Schwarz Photo: rj_hak_li .
Schwarz is said to have repeatedly reviewed his decision to remain in Moscow. Before the cup final, he publicly stated that his club played for the Ukrainians Voronin and defender Ivan Ordets (29) – both had fled Russia.
