soccer - Hertha-Torjacuber Tabakovic: Ascension cannot be expected
Hertha striker Haris Tabakovic mentioned in an interview with "Kicker" that he has given other "big clubs" a run for their money in the promotion fight in the 2. Football Bundesliga. "Cologne, HSV, Schalke, Duesseldorf, Hannover, Hertha", he said. "And there will definitely be another surprise team like Kiel last time: a team that talks less and works more. Sometimes that's better."
Hertha begin their new season at home against SC Paderborn at Olympiastadion on Saturday. They were relegated from the Bundesliga about a year ago before Tabakovic joined from Austria Wien. In his first season with the club, Tabakovic became one of the top scorers in the second league with 22 goals.
When asked if he hoped or expected the promotion, he said in the interview: "One shouldn't expect it. The 2. Bundesliga is very, very tough. Seven, eight clubs want to go up. But Hertha belongs in the 1. Liga. This inner feeling, this claim drives me. We have to be ready from the first day."
In the previous season, when Pal Dardai was still coaching, they "lost many games in the closing minutes. We were not consistent and not concentrated enough". The gap at the top was not that big. However, in terms of Cleverness, Concentration and Quality, something was missing.
Changes under Fiel
Under the new coach Cristian Fiel, Hertha's play with the ball has a completely new structure. "Our trainer wants us to play flat from the back. He demands a lot in positioning, is very dominant, also in pressing. The coach demands that we quickly regain the ball. That's on us, that we have to implement it", Tabakovic said.
- Tabakovic's performance in the Second Bundesliga last season was impressive, scoring 22 goals despite competition from clubs like Cologne, HSV, Schalke, Duesseldorf, and Hannover.
- The new season begins for Hertha at home against SC Paderborn, a team known to be capable of surprising others, just like Kiel did in the previous promotion fight.
- Though Hertha was relegated from the Football Bundesliga about a year ago, Tabakovic believes that the club truly belongs in the top league, driven by an inner feeling and a strong claim.
- In the previous season, under Pal Dardai, Hertha struggled with consistency and concentration, often losing games in the closing minutes.
- Cristian Fiel, the new coach, has brought significant changes to Hertha's playing style, emphasizing a flatter structure from the back, better positioning, and quick ball regain.
- Schalke, a "big club" mentioned by Tabakovic in the promotion fight, will also be competing in the Football Bundesliga this season, alongside other renowned German clubs like Berlin's Hertha BSC, HSV, and Hertha's upcoming opponents, SC Paderborn.
