Dominik Pries and Kadir Kir signaled to the sporting management at FC Ebersberg early on in the course of the district league preliminary round that the double burden as player-coach had become too much for them.
Ebersberg – “This gave the club enough time to find a new coach,” says Pries, pleased that Roland Grasser, his successor, has now introduced himself at an extraordinary team meeting in the “Club” dressing room.
“Everything is very comfortable boys!”, describes the 49-year-old trainer from Dorfen his first impression. “A nice mixed bunch, where it’s now about keeping the younger players in particular with a lot of ball training.”
However, Grasser finds the well-known basic problem of the FCE, the lack of a youth area as a substructure for the two men’s teams, “difficult”. Nevertheless, “I’m looking forward to the task and the challenge,” explains the C license trainer, who grew up in the district town. Roland Grasser’s return is now tantamount to a small family reunion.
His brother Stefan Grasser is still active in the men’s division of FC Ebersberg as a player and occasional assistant coach and can apply for a place in the district class team with the official start of preparation on Monday, February 6th, like all other squad players.
“The cards in all positions are completely reshuffled. The game starts over,” announces Roland Grasser.
For the “Club” boss Marko Kocijan, Grasser’s new signing should ensure the desired continuity in the coaching zone in addition to the short-term sporting success of staying up in the league. “We weren’t primarily looking for a fireman to get us out of there, but for a long-term solution,” according to Kocijan, an “indefinite” collaboration with Roland Grasser was agreed.
After Karl Pries left in 2019, Grasser is now the fourth coaching solution within four years after player-coach Flurim Bajramaj, Borislav Vujanovic and the Pries/Kir duo.
“Of course it’s particularly difficult for us without our own youth,” says Kocijan, “but Roland worked with young people in Dorfen for twelve years and with his authoritarian leadership style and also as a person he fits in perfectly with us.”
Grasser also left “a very positive, willing impression” on Kadir Kir and Dominik Pries, who will stay with the team as top performers on the pitch, Pries said. “But the most important thing is that the team pulls together and the people are there more often in training.” Pries is certain: “In terms of players, we should be much higher up. Maybe there’s a new vibe coming in now. In any case, staying up is our goal.”
These expectations coincide with those of the new coach, who last coached the men’s reserve of TSV Dorfen and has been without a coaching position for two years since then. “I’m also interested in something long-term,” Grasser would like to bring the second-bottom of the table in line at the latest in the training camp in Istria (March 12th to 15th) before going on the hunt for points against ASV Glonn in the Waldsportpark on March 19th.
“I know what I want, I’m brutally ambitious and I can get out of my head very quickly. The team needs a regulated process and the youngsters in particular need to be more committed to the club again.”
Grasser wants to get a first sporting impression of his protégés this Saturday evening at the TSV Zorneding Indoor Cup. (Julian Betzl)
