Preetz: 'Team stability is the name of the game'

As the Schladming training camp comes to an end Michael Preetz talks about the current transfer market, his expectations for the new season and attendance at the Olympiastadion.

Energy-sapping training, accommodation in Schladming and press conferences with the journalists who have travelled from Berlin; for the Hertha team days far away from home are nothing new. After lunch the team were ready to talk about personal aims, Berlin and the upcoming season. Following interviews with Niklas Stark, Arne Maier and Vedad Ibisevic, the end of the training camp meant it was time for Pál Dárdai and Michael Preetz to have their say. herthabsc.de let you know what the two bosses had to say:

Michael Preetz on…

…current transfer window: so far we have had 3 newcomers come in to strengthen the team. However, like all clubs we are always keeping an eye on the transfer market. Making transfers is always complicated since things are never confirmed till everything is signed. This year there’s also the added factor that the English transfer window closes 3 weeks earlier than ours. We won’t really know the effects of this till our transfer window comes to an end on the 1st September.

…expectations for the new season: in the last few years we’ve been in and around mid-table; however the Bundesliga’s mid-table is getting tighter and our job is to navigate this area as best we can. We’ve got an exciting team that couples a lot of young players with a sturdy experienced core. We’ve got to make sure we are a homogenous team that plays collectively and confidently.

…attendance figures at the Olympiastadion: the supposed connection between the playing style and attendance is a myth. We have always had stabile attendance figures of around 45,000 to 50,000. We’ve kept this in both good and bad times. It’s only natural that in the last few seasons things have been going more up and down than in the past. There’s no single reason for this. We’re working hard on improvements both on and off the field.

Energy-sapping training, accommodation in Schladming and press conferences with the journalists who have travelled from Berlin; for the Hertha team days far away from home are nothing new. After lunch the team were ready to talk about personal aims, Berlin and the upcoming season. Following interviews with Niklas Stark, Arne Maier and Vedad Ibisevic, the end of the training camp meant it was time for Pál Dárdai and Michael Preetz to have their say. herthabsc.de let you know what the two bosses had to say:

Michael Preetz on…

…current transfer window: so far we have had 3 newcomers come in to strengthen the team. However, like all clubs we are always keeping an eye on the transfer market. Making transfers is always complicated since things are never confirmed till everything is signed. This year there’s also the added factor that the English transfer window closes 3 weeks earlier than ours. We won’t really know the effects of this till our transfer window comes to an end on the 1st September

.…expectations for the new season: in the last few years we’ve been in and around mid-table; however the Bundesliga’s mid-table is getting tighter and our job is to navigate this area as best we can. We’ve got an exciting team that couples a lot of young players with a sturdy experienced core. We’ve got to make sure we are a homogenous team that plays collectively and confidently.

…attendance figures at the Olympiastadion: the supposed connection between the playing style and attendance is a myth. We have always had stabile attendance figures of around 45,000 to 50,000. We’ve kept this in both good and bad times. It’s only natural that in the last few seasons things have been going more up and down than in the past. There’s no single reason for this. We’re working hard on improvements both on and off the field.