Darmstadt without Lieberknecht against Mainz
Bundesliga promoted SV Darmstadt 98 will be without head coach Torsten Lieberknecht this weekend against FSV Mainz 05. This was announced by the Hessians on Thursday. The 50-year-old has been staying with his family near Düsseldorf since his wife suffered a stroke a few days ago. "Simone Lieberknecht is on the road to recovery and has already been discharged from hospital," explained a Lilies spokesperson at the press conference.
However, it is "to be assumed that Torsten will not be back on site next week either." Due to the international break, the promoted team will not play again after this weekend until November 25, when the Hessians host SC Freiburg. The assistant coach now in charge, Ovid Hajou, is in close contact with Lieberknecht.
"I don't do anything on my own," said the 39-year-old. Everything is discussed within the team, which also includes Kai Peter Schmitz and goalkeeping coach Dimo Wache. "We do video conferences, he takes part in all decisions as usual, and we even film the training sessions, he watches them and then we talk on the phone again in the evening," said Hajou. It has not yet been clarified how Lieberknecht will be involved on match day. Darmstadt captain Fabian Holland, Matej Maglica and Klaus Gjasula are suspended for the clash.
Despite the absence of head coach Torsten Lieberknecht due to family reasons, Bundesliga promoted team SV Darmstadt 98 will still look to perform well in their upcoming Bundesliga match against FSV Mainz 05. Assistant coach Ovid Hajou will be leading the team temporarily, with close communication between Hajou, Lieberknecht, and the rest of the coaching staff ensuring a cohesive approach.
Source: www.dpa.com
