“Work hard and give everything we have for the win”

Vladimir Darida speaks about the first few weeks under their new head coach, his personal Hertha dream and the match against SC Freiburg on Saturday (14/12/19).

Berlin – The name Jürgen Klinsmann has carried a certain amount of weight across the media in Berlin, as well as the rest of Germany for some time now. However, in the lead up to Saturday’s game against SC Freiburg, another name is catching the attention of the press: Vladimir Darida. The Czech international has formally played for Hertha’s upcoming opponents under current head coach Christian Streich, completing the switch to Breisgau from Viktoria Pilsen in 2013. After two seasons there, including a stint in the Europa League, the midfielder made his move to the capital.

Darida has since made 99 Bundesliga appearances for the Blue-Whites. However, the only thing that matters on Saturday is the football, with the 29-year-old seeking victory against his former club. The midfielder has been in a rich vein of form this season and has already notched up as many direct goal involvements as he did over the whole of last season (six). Hertha’s number six speaks to herthabsc.de about the new head coach, what he wants to achieve in the capital and the match against his former side.

herthabsc.de: Vladi, Jürgen Klinsmann has been here for two weeks now. What are your first impressions of your new coach and what has changed since he arrived?

Darida: A team always gets a bit of a boost when a new coach comes in. Everyone wants to show what they can do and prove themselves to the new man in charge. You can see that out on the pitch; everyone’s giving that little bit extra and that needs to continue up until the end of the season. If we do that, then I’m not worried at all about where we’ll end up. The coach is really optimistic and speaks to all of us a lot. For us it’s just important not to let our heads drop. The coach is helping us to stay optimistic and to keep looking forward.

herthabsc.de: In your first two seasons in Berlin you had lots of injury problems to deal with. Do you think your good form at the moment is down to your lack of injuries?

Darida: That’s certainly one of many reasons. Of course it’s important for me to complete a full pre-season and start the season in good shape. It’s particularly important for my type of play style to train and play without injury. I run around a lot in every game so my body needs to be able to withstand this level of intensity. Another reason is because I’m enjoying my football a lot more this season. I know how it feels to sit on the bench or in the stands. Furthermore I’m starting to feel a lot more comfortable in my new role. The birth of my son has also given me a lot more motivation. I’ve always said that my dream is to take my son with me into the Ostkurve after a home win and celebrate there with the fans. I would love to have that experience and it would motivate me even more.

herthabsc.de: Solomon Kalou said in the run-up to the Frankfurt game that the experienced players should give even more when times are tough. Do you feel you have taken up more responsibility in the current situation?

Darida: Looking at my stats I have lots of experience in the Bundesliga now. Solomon is right; the older players need to take on more responsibility and show this out on the pitch. We can’t hide during matches, but rather grab them by the scruff of the neck. It’s also on us to make sure that the rest of the team stays calm throughout each game.

herthabsc.de: Your fortunes have been a lot better with the national team recently. The Czech Republic have qualified for EURO 2020. How have you managed to deal with such conflicting emotions?

Darida: It was a tense situation with both teams; in the Bundesliga with Hertha BSC and in the EURO qualifiers with the national team. We desperately needed points in both cases, albeit for different reasons. Nevertheless it’s important to separate the two situations. However, I’d rather be under pressure than be in tenth place where it’s not possible to move either up or down. Whenever I won a game with the national team I would go back to Berlin with a lot more confidence. That also gave me a boost for the matches that followed.

herthabsc.de: In Frankfurt you were up against one of the strongest teams at home in the league, unfortunately conceding a late equaliser. Can this game have a positive effect on you for the rest of the games up until Christmas?

Darida: We need to take the result on the chin. There’s no point in feeling sorry for ourselves. We need to continue to stay positive and believe in ourselves. We got a point against a strong team away from home; that should give us confidence for our next few games.

herthabsc.de: You’re up against your former team on Saturday. What mindset will you go into the game with? Is it still a special game for you, having left them two years ago?

Darida: Of course, I have fond memories of my time at Freiburg. I spent two great years there and it’s definitely a special occasion for me. But obviously I would much prefer the three points to stay here in Berlin (smiles). We want to win against every team we come up against.

herthabsc.de: Jürgen Klinsmann has warned the fans about Freiburg. What are you expecting from SCF and what will you have to do on Saturday to get the win?

Darida: We need to put in a similar performance to what we’ve done over the last couple of games; we need to work hard and give everything we have to get the victory. But, as well as that, we need to show our footballing ability. We work really hard in training; that’s clear to see. But we also need to show that at the weekend when it really counts, and prove that we’re a good team.