The decision should already have been made. Pal Dardai should return to the coaching bench at Hertha BSC. The record player does not tackle the delicate mission alone: he should get someone at his side that the Berlin fans really love.
The bosses of Hertha BSC obviously rely on a double top with Hertha heart and soul for the big rescue. According to a report by the “Kicker”, the troubled Bundesliga club decided to return Pal Dardai as head coach – supported by Andreas “Zecke” Neuendorf. Both are ex-professionals, one – Dardai – record player at the club from Charlottenburg, the other – Neuendorf – still a huge fan favorite.
“We want a fresh start for the future,” said the new Hertha boss Carsten Schmidt after the separation from coach Bruno Labbadia and his team as well as from manager Michael Preetz on Sunday. On his 55th day in office, Schmidt had cleaned up a lot. After the 1: 4 against SV Werder Bremen and the fight against relegation instead of European cup places, Hertha initiated the change. To what extent Dardai / Neuendorf should only be a solution in dire need or the beginning of one of the now abundant new starts – still unclear.
For Dardai it would definitely be a return to the post of head coach. The 44-year-old Hungarian worked from February 2015 to the end of June 2019 as the main coach at Hertha. About six years ago he replaced Jos Luhukay, the Berliners had slipped to 17th place in the table.
Dardai saved the club from relegation in that season with 15th place. After places seven and six, development stagnated, only the mediocre followed with positions ten and eleven. Preetz decided against a continuation with Dardai. It didn’t get any better, however, and the coaching failure was recorded in less than two years: Ante Covic, Jürgen Klinsmann, Alexander Nouri and Bruno Labbadia.
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It is speculated that Dardai and Neuendorf will only move into their new posts for the rest of the current season – pure rescue mission. How attractive the vacant position of Hertha BSC head coach was or is for other coaches can only be speculated. Hertha is further than ever from what investor Lars Windhorst wants – the Big City Club.
Someone like Ralf Rangnick, who has already proven several times that he can practically reinvent a club and lead it to success, did not want to participate in the speculation on the day Labbadia and Preetz separated. But it is also clear that a rank nod would claim more say, more decision-making authority and more power than a Dardai. This is how Rangnick built TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and how he built RB Leipzig. However, the now 62-year-old is not a public favorite.
“We want someone on the pitch on Tuesday who will weld us together and put us in a position to get something from Eintracht Frankfurt at the weekend,” Hertha boss Schmidt emphasized. A new coach doesn’t have much time either. Hertha cannot afford many more defeats.
But the program in February has it all: After the game with the Frankfurt team, who are currently in good shape, top runners and record champions FC Bayern Munich (February 5) come to Berlin, then it goes to the strong returnee VfB Stuttgart (February 13), before RB Leipzig will make a guest appearance in the Olympic Stadium (February 21) and Hertha will then have to play against the current fourth-placed VfL Wolfsburg (February 27). As tables-14. With just two points ahead of the relegation relegation place, Hertha must quickly score.
And in addition to the 286-fold Hertha professional Dardai, Neuendorf should also help. The 45-year-old had hired several times as a player at Hertha and started his career in the summer of 2014 Hertha BSC also ended. A year later, he started working as a junior coach at the capital club. dpa
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