By Sara Orlos Fernandes
Shortly before Hertha’s last home game against Vfl Bochum, coach Pal Dardai (47) spoke plainly at the press conference and showed a lack of understanding for his team’s performance.
Before the relegation final against Bochum on Saturday (3:30 p.m.), the Hertha coach said: “It’s not nice to talk about it with your own players at the end of the season: Please walk a meter. They have to change that completely,” said the Hungarian before the Bundesliga game. “I’ve never worked with a team where the will, the work off the ball, the basics, disappear along the way.”
The Berliners have to win on Saturday to have a minimal chance of staying up. In the event of a draw or a defeat, the seventh Bundesliga relegation would be certain. But even with a win, Hertha could be relegated at the weekend if rivals Schalke and Stuttgart also win.
Bitter defeat last Friday. Hertha lost 5:2 against Cologne Photo: dpa
Sports director Benjamin Weber (43) was more optimistic before the Bochum game: “Even if the chance is so small, we want to take it,” he said. Nobody gave up. “We will do everything we can to win the games.” However, he admitted that too many mistakes had been made.
At the general meeting last Sunday, Andreas “Zecke” Neuendorf, director of the academy and licensed players’ area, denied the suitability of the pros and sharply criticized the composition of the squad for the last five transfer phases.
New squad only after the season
Nevertheless, Weber only wants to start planning the new squad after the season, when it is clear in which league Hertha will start next season. In view of the unclear situation, no players will be said goodbye to the last home game on Saturday.
Central defender Marc Oliver Kempf and midfielder Tolga Cigerci are still doubtful. However, Dardai considers defense chief Kempf to be likely. Filip Uremovic (concussion) and Jessic Ngankam (suspended) are definitely out.
Coach Dardai wants to motivate his players before the last home game of the season. “You can lose a lot at the weekend. But that has to make you sharp, make you awake, make you greedy,” said the coach. “You have to make something positive out of the negative. We’re trying to tease that out.”
Hertha is bottom of the table with 25 points, five points behind the relegation place. A win against the table-15. its a must. Even one point is not enough to prevent relegation on the penultimate matchday on Saturday.
The fans are loyal to Hertha. The Berliners are expecting well over 60,000 spectators at the home game on Saturday, including almost 10,000 VfL supporters.