Dresden. Yannick Stark turned 30 on Wednesday. Dynamo’s summer newcomer from Darmstadt celebrated his milestone birthday for reasons of time and not because of the corona pandemic. At least on the weekend he gets a private visit from home, but he also meets old friends on business when he plays with the Black and Yellows against SV Meppen on Saturday (2 p.m.). in the SPORTIn the BUZZER interview, Stark remembers, among other things, shared times with Torsten Frings, reveals which Meppen professional he has known since childhood and what he expects for a game against the Emsländer.
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Happy birthday! Did the team sing for you?
Yes, I got a serenade from the team and the coaches.
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And also a Frankfurt wreath?
There was a cake in the square, but not a Frankfurt wreath.
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What do you wish for the coming year?
I didn’t think too much about that. The usual, of course: health, sporting success, that the family is doing well.
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Can you even celebrate the “rounds” a bit? The timing is not ideal …
Today I’m only going to make a few phone calls, answer messages. At the weekend my sister comes by with her husband and niece. Maybe we’ll eat something in a small group. Something bigger is not planned, would not be possible at the moment.
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Your wish for the next game should be clear. How optimistic are you that your hoped-for home win against Meppen will work out?
Basically, I’m always optimistic and never go into a game with a bad feeling. I think we played a decent game in Ingolstadt, outnumbered. We want to win the next one, we are preparing well and we are turning the right screws.
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CLICK THROUGH: The pictures of the game
Second defeat in a row: SG Dynamo Dresden lost 0-1 at FC Ingolstadt.
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How strong does Stark currently assess the Emsländer?
This is a typical third division team, it will be another unpleasant task. A good friend of mine plays there and I know coach Torsten Frings. I played together with Valdet Rama at 1860 Munich. These are guys who can kick. It will be a tough job.
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Who’s the good buddy?
Hassan Amin. We went to school, grew up in the same district in Darmstadt, played together. I’ve known him for a very, very long time. We still have a very good friendship.
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Can you already recognize the signature of Frings, one of your coaches in Darmstadt, among the Meppeners?
I have to admit that so far I’ve only seen cuts from the Meppener games. The opponent analysis is still on the program, so I can’t say too much about it yet. But I don’t think Torsten Frings will have changed his football philosophy.
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Can you describe them a little?
The way I got to know him, he always wanted to play active football, geared towards ball possession. We scored a lot of goals, but now and then there was a bit of a lack of balance backwards, but basically his approach is to be active with the ball. He seeks salvation more on the offensive.
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Meppen has even scored four more goals than Dynamo so far. How come One would have expected it the other way around before the season, expected the promotion favorite …
It was naive that some media declared Dresden to be the absolute favorite for promotion. Of course we have some well-known newcomers with experience from higher leagues and very ambitious young players, but these are things that have to come together first. This can take a while. I think we have a very good team, but still a lot has to fit. It was already clear to me that we wouldn’t be promoted in March because we dominate the league so much. We have to digest setbacks like the one against Zwickau quickly and do better now.
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How a team works can often only be seen in difficult situations. What is your current impression of the team atmosphere and how do you, as an experienced leader, influence it?
Everyone is critical enough, nobody was happy after the last two games and said: Everything is going great. We already have a well-composed squad where everyone knows what their tasks are and everyone is initially dissatisfied with themselves when things don’t go well. As a player who has already been through a bit, I try to influence, talk to the younger players and give them tips. But you shouldn’t expect them to take hold in the next game, it has to grow. A team is a difficult structure, a lot has to fit and we are working on it.
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Yannick Stark received instructions from his then trainer Torsten Frings in Darmstadt in autumn 2017.
© imago / Jan Huebner
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At the beginning everything went well against HSV. In retrospect, did the 4: 1 in the cup set the bar too high for Dynamo?
Hard to say if that was a burden. In the game everything really went well: We were hot, the crowd was there, for many of the team it was the first home game in the new stadium. Of course everyone was on fire, but little things, luck were on our side at the time. HSV didn’t score at critical times, we did two at the beginning and then one shortly after half-time. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on our side against Ingolstadt, nor against Zwickau, although we weren’t all good there. We got a stupid goal straight after taking the lead. Chris Löwe’s injury was also unfavorable.
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Have you ever played against Meppen?
No, not yet.
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Back to Frings, who like you was at home as an active player in defensive midfield: Do you still remember him as a professional and maybe you can learn something from training?
Of course, as a player, I still have him in my head. He wasn’t a supporter of the national team for nothing, played in the Champions League, for Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen. He was a very, very good footballer. As a coach, he always had a good rapport with me and with his players in general. It was a lot of fun working under him. I think I learned a lot in the short time I spent together, it was only half a year. You could still see in training that he was a very good kicker, even though he was itchy now and then, we played four against four or five against five. Although his fitness level was no longer the best, he was able to play along with his technique and experience.
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So he’s an approachable, predictable coach for his players?
Yes, an honest guy. In no way does he reveal that he was once a world class player. He approaches the players, is a buddy. It was pleasant work and it hurt everyone that we as a team couldn’t turn things around, although everyone wanted that, everyone intended to continue working with him. Everyone felt responsible when they had to vacate their place in Darmstadt – and it wasn’t a good feeling.
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CLICK THROUGH: The pictures of the defeat against Zwickau
SG Dynamo Dresden loses the friendly derby against FSV Zwickau 1: 2.
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He brought you back to the team in 2017 when you came back to Lilien on loan, right?
Exactly, nobody had me on the bill anymore, but he called me on my summer vacation and told me that he was looking forward to seeing me, that I should step on the gas and that that would be rewarded. And that’s how it actually was, these weren’t just empty words. I am still grateful to him that he made it possible for me to return to the second division. He trusted me, I was able to play the first game from the start.
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Do you think that the lack of coaching from him on the sidelines on Saturday will be a major disadvantage for Meppen? In the almost empty stadium, it would have been easy to hear without an indoor ban …
I think so. I don’t know if his assistant coach can fill the role. It’s not a great feeling when the head coach is missing. He in particular always gave good speeches, was very motivating, committed on the sidelines. That it is missing should be a disadvantage, but we shouldn’t concern ourselves with it.
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You have been in Dresden for a few months now. How does a die-hard Hessian get along in Saxony? Have you already learned a few local vocabulary?
I get along better and better with the dialect, but I haven’t learned anything big yet. I found a nice apartment and was very well received by the club. A few other guys from the team live in the neighborhood, with whom I do a lot. I feel good, only the sporty was a bit too unsteady. We had very good games, but unfortunately also weak ones. We have to get more consistency – in a positive way, of course. If it works, then that was absolutely the right step for me.
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And now at the weekend your sister also brings Äppelwoi and Haddekuche from home with her?
Such traditional things are not really mine that I miss them here. It is enough for my loved ones to come and keep me company. We haven’t seen each other for a long time. It can be a nice weekend, I’ll bring you closer to and show you a few things in Dresden.
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