Teams | April 11, 2017 at 07:55 PM

In the Archives: Dardai's debut as boss

In the Archives: Dardai's debut as boss

Saturday will see Pal Dardai return to the place where it all began. It has been just over two years since the coach first sat in the dugout as Hertha’s boss against Mainz.
erlin- After nearly 125 years Hertha BSC are still writing new footballing stories. For this edition of our look back through the archives, we don’t have to go back too far. This weekend will see Pal Dardai return to the ground where it all began as Hertha’s boss over two years ago. The city on the Rhein provided the backdrop to the beginning of a new chapter that is still ongoing.
 
Backstory: Saison 2014/15. Hertha BSC are staring relegation in the face. Despite big summer signings such as Salomon Kalou, Valentin Stocker and John Heitinga, Hertha are struggling to pick up points under coach Jos Luhukay. The Dutchman has won just five of his 19 games in charge in the league and is relieved of his duties after a defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, a loss which sees the club from the capital slip into the relegation places. Ex-player and the man with more appearances for Hertha than any other is the man to replace him. Hungarian Pal Dardai is chosen to lead Hertha away from a potential relegation to Bundesliga 2. 
“This team has more than enough quality to be higher up the table,” says Dardai. The new man takes up the challenge and starts to deliver on his promise as the points start to come. 
Story: Just two days after being appointed Dardai faces his first challenge away at Mainz on February 7. After being as high as third in the table after eight games without defeat, Mainz have slipped down the league somewhat and are thirteenth when Dardai’s team turns up on the Rhein. Dardai makes five changes from the previous weeks. John Brooks, Marvin Plattenhardt, Per Skjelbred, Nico Schulz and Valentin Stocker come in for Sebastian Langkamp, Johannes van den Bergh, Marcel Ndjeng, Hajime Hosogai and Genki Haraguchi.
An often open game, in which Mainz just have the upper hand, is decided just after the half hour. After a pass backwards from Gonzalo Jara, out comes Loris Karius, who brings down a-quick-to-react Valentin Stocker. Jens Hegeler converts the penalty and Roy Beerans adds a second before half-time after Julian Schieber’s shot comes back off the post. Fabian Lustenberger is sent off after the break, and Mainz come into the game more as it’s 10 versus 10. They cannot get the ball into the back of the net, and Hertha are able to record a first win of the year. 

Berlin- After nearly 125 years Hertha BSC are still writing new footballing stories. For this edition of our look back through the archives, we don’t have to go back too far. This weekend will see Pal Dardai return to the ground where it all began as Hertha’s boss over two years ago. The city on the Rhein provided the backdrop to the beginning of a new chapter that is still ongoing. 

Backstory: Saison 2014/15. Hertha BSC are staring relegation in the face. Despite big summer signings such as Salomon Kalou, Valentin Stocker and John Heitinga, Hertha are struggling to pick up points under coach Jos Luhukay. The Dutchman has won just five of his 19 games in charge in the league and is relieved of his duties after a defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, a loss which sees the club from the capital slip into the relegation places. Ex-player and the man with more appearances for Hertha than any other is the man to replace him. Hungarian Pal Dardai is chosen to lead Hertha away from a potential relegation to Bundesliga 2. “This team has more than enough quality to be higher up the table,” says Dardai. The new man takes up the challenge and starts to deliver on his promise as the points start to come. 

Story: Just two days after being appointed Dardai faces his first challenge away at Mainz on February 7. After being as high as third in the table after eight games without defeat, Mainz have slipped down the league somewhat and are thirteenth when Dardai’s team turns up on the Rhein. Dardai makes five changes from the previous weeks. John Brooks, Marvin Plattenhardt, Per Skjelbred, Nico Schulz and Valentin Stocker come in for Sebastian Langkamp, Johannes van den Bergh, Marcel Ndjeng, Hajime Hosogai and Genki Haraguchi.

An often open game, in which Mainz just have the upper hand, is decided just after the half hour. After a pass backwards from Gonzalo Jara, out comes Loris Karius, who brings down a-quick-to-react Valentin Stocker. Jens Hegeler converts the penalty and Roy Beerans adds a second before half-time after Julian Schieber’s shot comes back off the post. Fabian Lustenberger is sent off after the break, and Mainz come into the game more as it’s 10 versus 10. They cannot get the ball into the back of the net, and Hertha are able to record a first win of the year. 

Historical finish: The capital club picked up 14 more points over the next 14 games before it all came to head with a showdown against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on the final day of the season. After goals from Anthony Modeste and Berlin’s right-winger Beerens, the score was 1-1, but Roberto Firmino’s winning goal meant that they would ultimately fail to collect any of the points. Because SC Freiburg finished parallel with Hannover 96, and Hamburg ‘only’ beat Schalke 2-0, the Blue-Whites finished safely in 15th place, and confirmed their presence in the Bundesliga for the next year.

Match summary:

Date: 15:30 Saturday, 7th February 2015

Competition: Bundesliga, 2014/15 season, Matchday 20

Line-ups:

FSV Mainz 05: Karius – Brosinski, Bell, Jara (46’ Bungert), Bengtsson – Geis, Baumgartlinger – De Blasis (72’ Allagui), Malli, Clemens (34’ Kapino) – Okazaki

Hertha BSC: Kraft – Pekarik, Hegeler, Brooks, Plattenhardt – Skjelbred (66’ Hosogai), Lustenberger – Beerens (78‘ Wagner), Stocker (63‘ Niemeyer), N. Schulz – Schieber

Goals: 0-1 Hegeler (35‘ penalty), 0-2 Beerens (42‘)

Yellow cards: Jara, Baumgartlinger, Skjelbred, Schieber, Wagner

Red cards: Karius (32’), Lustenberger (58’)

Referee: Denis Aytekin

Stadium: Coface-Arena, Mainz

Attendance: 26,756 

by Hertha BSC