With Pal Dardai, an old friend is coming back to Hertha BSC. Relegation is now his responsibility, said the Hungarian at his presentation.
Bundesliga club Hertha BSC presented its new but well-known coach on Monday: At a press conference, the club, threatened with relegation, presented club icon Pal Dardai. This is the third time that the former Blue and White player has been coached by the Berliners.
He last worked for almost a year in 2021, before that he looked after Hertha between February 2015 and June 2019 in a total of 172 games. With 373 active appearances, Dardai is still Hertha’s record player. After his last job with the blue and whites, Dardai did not hold any office until the end.
Weber: Dardai doesn’t need one training period
Sports director Benjamin Weber first explained the reasons for the separation from ex-coach Sandro Schwarz at Dardai’s introductory press conference. “As you can all imagine, short nights are behind us,” said Weber. “We mainly used Saturday to analyze the situation together with Sandro Schwarz. Ultimately, we no longer had the impression that he could muster the emotionality and passion,” said the 43-year-old clearly.
With Pal Dardai it is now a matter of “doing everything we can to stay up in the league”. “Many have already written us off. That is also an incentive for us,” said Weber. Dardai knows every blade of grass and everyone in the club would know him well. “Those were the decisive points, that he can start immediately and doesn’t need any training time,” says Weber.
Dardai should return to the club in the summer anyway
The club management apparently got in touch with Dardai some time ago. “The management talked to me for a long time. Actually, the plan was that I would return to the academy in the summer,” said Dardai when he was introduced. “Then the call came. It didn’t take long, I said yes. I want to get back there so that the young Hertha players don’t leave the club,” Dardai explained his plan. “It’s my responsibility from now on to keep this team in the league.”
