Soccer - Merry Hertha Christmas despite a clean sheet
Toni Leistner had a heavy load to carry. The Hertha BSC captain marched towards the catacombs of the Olympic Stadium with one of the crates of beer donated by the fans in the Ostkurve. With his speech of thanks to the supporters of the long-suffering Berlin second division club, the defensive boss had struck the right note on the pitch shortly beforehand. "Thank you for the support," was the key message. The general feeling of relief was shared by everyone at Hertha. Even after an overall disappointing 0-0 draw against VfL Osnabrück at the end of a turbulent soccer year.
"We also have to enjoy the day. We have achieved more than I thought before the season. We can be happy as Herthans," said coach Pal Dardai. Nine games without defeat, a place in the upper midfield, six points behind Hamburger SV in the relegation places. That leaves all options open, but does not tempt us to dream foolhardily. "If we had won, everyone in Berlin would have said, now you have to get promoted," said Dardai. Leistner summarized the starting position as follows: "The role of the hunter suits us quite well."
One player could do little with the general cheerfulness. Florian Niederlechner was furious after his red card. "The video referee is sh.....," he broke off his sentence just before a verbal outburst. His kick against Lukas Kunze's shin was "without momentum". The opponent laughed. He needs another hour to calm down, said Niederlechner, who will now certainly miss Hertha's second-round opener against Fortuna Düsseldorf on January 21, but possibly also the following games against Wehen Wiesbaden and Hamburger SV.
However, Niederlechner was also pleased with the unusual beer gifts from the fans - to get him in the mood for the Christmas party, where coach Dardai will certainly treat himself to a glass of good red wine. His team is two points down in Dardai's points calculation. In the past," said Dardai, referring to August and September, his team would have lost a game like this.
Nobody, not even visiting coach Uwe Koschinat, played down the Reese factor. The absence of exceptional player Fabian Reese due to a cold underlined the importance of the winger for the Berliners. "I'd be lying if I said that didn't affect us," said the VfL coach. Dardai had hoped for the 26-year-old until breakfast, but then came the news that Reese not only had a cold, but also a fever.
Dardai's body language told him to check it off. The Hungarian wished everyone a Merry Christmas. From January onwards: "We have to keep working hard."
Information about the game on the Bundesliga homepage
Read also:
- A clan member is punished here
- Traffic lawyer warns: Don't talk to the police!
- Will he be convicted as Jutta's murderer after 37 years?
- He also wanted to kill his cousin
- Despite being the captain of Hertha BSC and finding himself in the relegation zone of the 2. Bundesliga, Toni Leistner appreciated the beer crates donated by the fans in Berlin's Ostkurve.
- Hertha BSC had languished at the bottom of the table for a majority of the season; however, under Pal Dardai's guidance, they managed to remain unbeaten for nine consecutive games.
- Coach Pal Dardai acknowledged their achievement, expressing his gratitude towards the Berlin fans for their unwavering support and even shared his intention to celebrate the Christmas with a glass of red wine.
- Toni Leistner, displeased with their draw against VfL Osnabrück, still saw the positive ending of the game, implying that their underdog position served them well in the league.
- As Florian Niederlechner faced a two-match ban following his reckless disciplinary action, he could only express his gratitude towards the fans for their unusual beer gifts to lighten his spirits during the holiday season.
- Uwe Koschinat, visiting coach of VfL Osnabrück, acknowledged the significance of the absence of Fabian Reese in Hertha BSC's lineup, stating that their lack of presence was an obvious setback for the Berliners.
- In the space of two points separating Hertha BSC and Hamburger SV in the relegation race, Dardai's team made sure to maintain their focus on the upcoming games, vowing to work hard in January.
- Toni Leistner, Pal Dardai, Florian Niederlechner, Hertha BSC, and VfL Osnabrück all hail from different corners of Germany, including Lower Saxony and Berlin.
Source: www.stern.de
