At relegated Hertha BSC, preparations for the first second division season in ten years have begun. However, the squad is anything but final: a few more arrivals and departures are expected. Hertha coach Pal Dardai on …
… the big squad
He’s not that big at the moment. Many players are still on loan and have contracts there until June 30th. Only after that will they return.
Of course that’s a different situation. You’re not left with a roster that you just want to make one or two changes to.
Right now it’s still a very colorful mix. That’s also difficult for a coach and it would be good if we at least go to the training camp with the team [vom 12. bis 21. Juli in Österreich; Anm. d. Red.]which is also there at the beginning of the season.
These are Pal Dardai’s most important tasks in preparation
Hertha BSC started preparations for the new season on Monday. Coach Pal Dardai now has four weeks to develop a competitive team with a clear game plan. From Marc Schwitzkymore
… the mood
We’re starting to work with the squad in a positive mood for now, but bad Pal is here too and says: I won’t work with lazy people. So it may be that one or the other finds himself in the cabin very quickly. It was bad enough watching last year and I want to have fun too.
… the left-back-Position
For me, this is not a problem for which we cannot find a solution. But we still need patience. Benny and Tick [Sportdirektor Benjamin Weber und der Leiter der Lizenzspielerabteilung Andreas Neuendorf; Anm. d. Red.] are on the road and have already had a few good conversations. We will find a decent quality left-back. Not just one, but two. We still have talent among youngsters. So we will have a few options in the coming season.
… the anticipation of the fans
Everyone has seen how many season tickets we have already sold. The fans are here and they love us. This is a cohesion that strengthens us. Last season there were sometimes 60,000 or 70,000 spectators in the stadium, although the team was relegated at the end. If we work well now and grow together again, then it will be worth coming back to the stadium. Then the fans will see a team with a strong character and mentality that always give their all.
… The goal
I wouldn’t say today that our goal is promotion. Today I’m standing here, it’s raining and we don’t even have a real squad. We need that first and then we can continue talking. But I don’t need to raise false hopes here. If we end up with no money and no players and bet on youth, we have to build the house from the bottom and not from the top.
Two signboards in the shop window
The U21 European Championship in football begins on June 21st. Also present: Jessic Ngankam and Marton Dardai from Hertha BSC. The homegrown players are symbolic of the club’s new path and could soon leave it – also thanks to the tournament.By Marc Schwitzkymore
… the future of striker Jessic Ngankam
Hard preparation would do him good. I don’t think he’s fit, I told his coach with the U21 national team that. At his age, he’s mature enough to do a really tough training camp. He needs that, otherwise his body won’t work. He can do a lot more and is of great value to Hertha BSC. But it is an advantage if he is also well trained. I can’t say whether he will get offers from other teams. All I can say is that we need a good Jessic. But he has to work hard and be here and run after the U21 European Championship.
Broadcast: rbb24, June 26, 2023, 6 p.m
