“There are a few intense weeks ahead of us”

Berlin – The international break is a moment to take a deep breath, recuperate and gather your thoughts. Hertha’s players are now all back from international duty and are concentrating on the upcoming match against Schalke 04 on Saturday (14.10). Michael Preetz used the break to look back on the first months of the 2017/18 season and give his thought. “We’ve had a very satisfactory start to the season,” said Hertha BSC’s sporting director.

herthabsc.de: Mr Preetz, there have been some seriously intense weeks of work this season. Hertha are tenth in the league with nine points after matchday seven. How happy are you with that?

Preetz: We’ve had a very satisfactory begin to the season. We’re unbeaten at home and recently came from 2-0 down to draw against Bayern. It’s going to be important for us to be strong at home, like last season. We got a good point against Hoffenheim away from home, but the defeat to Mainz was very frustrating. It was completely unnecessary. We didn’t play badly against Dortmund – many others will lose there, too. We can do better in some areas but we’ve done well overall. The league ranking so early in the season is not so important. I’m also pleased we’ve reached the second round of the DFB-Pokal.

hertha.bsc: It’s the club’s first appearance in the Europa League since 2009. Hertha drew against Athletico Bilbao but then lost to Östersunds FK. What is your take on these two games?

Preetz: We shouldn’t have lost the game against Östersunds. We missed our chances, especially at the beginning of the match. The team lost its rhythm after the penalty. We still have good chances of progressing though. Luhansk’s win in Bilbao shows that it’s a more finely-balanced group than many thought. The two games against Luhansk are crucial.

herthabsc.de: Juggling competitions: Hertha could have up to 26 games in the next 18 weeks. How does the team deal with the extra load?

Preetz: We had seven games in 21 days before the international break. Pàl Dàrdai rotated the squad quite a lot but it’s been successful. The players showed they could be relied on. We’ve been able to do this because the squad has been strengthened in past years and all these new recruits have taken on the club philosophy. The coaching staff also spent lots of time in pre-season thinking about how we could deal with the extra games. The weeks up to the Wolfsburg match in November will be intense. We want to signal our intent to succeed against Schalke 04 on Saturday.

herthabsc.de: Hertha got a point against Hoffenheim and Bilbao but then lost against Mainz and Östersunds FK. Some criticized the head coach’s decision to rotate players after those games…

Preetz:… and I would tell them that results aren’t solely determined by squad rotation. There’s much more behind these decisions. Fabian Lustenberger played in both games and did superbly. Rotation is also important for the team mentality. Everyone gets match-time and that’s important for the squad. It also strengthens the competition for places. I don’t think rotation was the reason for those defeats. 

herthabsc.de: Hertha had 14 players on international duty during the break. How does it feel to watch our players representing their national teams?

Preetz: To have so many players representing their national teams is a big compliment for us. Karim Rekik’s strong performances for Hertha put him on the radar for the Netherlands – even though they didn’t qualify in the end. Marvin Plattenhardt had another opportunity to play for Germany, while Mathew Leckie has been crucial in Australia’s ongoing battle to reach the World Cup. Valentino Lazaro is a key player for Austria despite his tender years. We’re proud to have some many players on international duty but of course we always hope they come back injury-free.

herthabsc.de: Vedad Ibisevic was another Blue-White to be away on international duty. He’s become a bit of a scapegoat after his sending off against Mainz. Vedad is also yet to score this season. How do you build up his confidence?

Preetz: I don’t need to build up his confidence. He’s our captain and Vedad’s very important in the team. He’s shown that through his goals in past seasons. I’m not worried about him at all. He’s an experienced player and knows how to deal with these situations. Don’t forget he’s got the most assists for us this season (3).

herthabsc.de: Mathew Leckie has had a prolific start to life with the club, scoring four goals already this season. Had you expected that?

Preetz: You can’t predict those type of things. We bought him to increase our goal threat and he’s helped us achieve that. Valentino Lazaro has also shown what he’s capable of and then there’s Davie Selke. Hopefully he’s back soon, but we’re giving him all the time he needs.