“…like dancing without music”

When Santiago Ascacibar looks back on the year 2020, he will probably think of it as a turbulent, emotional and sometimes completely crazy time. In the first four months, the 23-year-old probably experienced as much as some of his teammates did in several years. The year for the midfielder started with a groundbreaking decision. On New Year's Day, he made the switch from VfB Stuttgart to Hertha BSC, and just a day later he and his new team immediately travelled to a training camp in Florida. Shortly thereafter, he made his debut for the 'Alte Dame' in the sold-out Olympiastadion against Bayern Munich. "Even though we don't know when it will start again, we have to be ready. That is our job now," reported the Argentinian, who came to Germany from his home country in 2017. The biggest highlight, however, followed on January 23rd when he became a father for the first time. It was going well on the pitch as well as off for the defensive midfielder as he earned himself a regular spot in the heart of the midfield despite the change of coach. Nevertheless, the Herthaner continued to fall short of their own expectations. Herthabsc.de spoke to Santi about his first few months on the Spree, as well as the interruption of the season due to the coronavirus.

herthabsc.de: Santi, the most important question to start off with. How are you and your family?

Ascacibar: We’re all doing fine thank you! We are - as probably everyone is currently - at home most of the time and we don’t go out very often. Despite the circumstances, the mood in the house is still upbeat (grins). Of course, a lot of that is down to our son Benicio: since his birth our life has changed quite a bit. We have to be at his side around the clock. With all the bad side of the corona crisis, it's nice for me to be at home with my family so often and for so long. So I have more opportunities to help my girlfriend and spend more time with our son. I’ve also been speaking to my family in Argentina a lot, where there are plenty of border restrictions and preventative measures. People are only allowed to go out when they want to go to the supermarket, pharmacies or to the doctors.

herthabsc.de: Everyday life has changed fundamentally for everyone, things that were previously taken for granted have disappeared. How has it been for you personally these past few weeks in quarantine with all the closures to shops, restaurants etc. as well as borders closing?

Ascacibar: It’s been weird, that’s for sure. This is an unfamiliar situation for all of us, but we have to accept these rules, after all, it's about our health - and that's the most important thing. Sometimes it’s been a bit monotonous, but in addition to spending time together, I’ve been able to spend some time in the kitchen, watch new series and read a couple of books.

herthabsc.de: After the quarantine had expired, you were able to train again in small groups on Schenckendorffplatz for almost three weeks and under strict guidelines from the authorities. At the moment you can’t tackle to due to social distancing. How hard has that been for someone like you who loves a battle?

Ascacibar: Good question (laughs)! Let me try to explain. Of course, it was great to be allowed back on the pitch and have the ball at my feet. Everything feels so much better when I have a ball at my feet. Training in small groups is still better than being at home, put it that way. But football without tackling is like dancing without music. I can do it for now, play without opponents, tackling or even any emotion, but it feels weird (laughs).

herthabsc.de: The arrival of Bruno Labbadia now means you’ve had three coaches this Rückrunde. What was your impression of him during his first few days?

Ascacibar: Of course I knew that he coached Wolfsburg and was once a good player, but I don't know his career in detail. He made a great start with the group - we immediately felt like he wanted to be here and he was fired up to get going. We work a lot with the ball, but we also work a lot on our technical skills. Most of all though, it’s been about tactical exercises so that we can quickly implement his ideas. Even if we don't know when to start again, we have to be ready. That is our job now.

herthabsc.de: You’ve been in Berlin for almost four months now and you’ve been through a lot in that time. Not only did you move somewhere completely new, but you also became a father for the first time before this outbreak. Has it clicked with you yet just how much has happened during your time here?

Ascacibar: (laughs) I haven't really thought about it yet. Many beautiful things have happened like the birth of my child. I’m back playing in the Bundesliga again and have always been in the starting XI except for one game in where I was suspended. That was my goal and I am happy that I have been able to show the coaches that they can count on me. But even if I hadn't played, I wouldn't have given up, I would’ve fought for my place. In the end, the team comes first no matter what - that’s my attitude. Problems always occur from time to time, but you still have to stay positive and try and get through certain situations. A lot of these things are so fast-moving, sometimes you can’t influence them yourself. I try to focus on solving the problems instead of struggling for too long. In terms of sport, I am sure we’ll be able to get back to normal at some point, and hopefully it’s soon because Hertha BSC has a great future.

herthabsc.de: You clicked with the other two new winter additions, Matheus Cunha and Krzysztof Piątek straight away, and together you want to create a bright future for the club. Were you three able to get round Berlin at all before the crisis?

Ascacibar: Yes! We spent a lot of time together before the Corona pandemic, went out to eat in Berlin a couple of times. It was always fun when we were together, we always mix the languages ​​and switch from Italian to Spanish and back. I never really learned Italian, I just picked up scraps from a friend in Stuttgart. I just tried to speak a little bit with Krzysztof and it seems to be working quite well. I hope that we can all get back to doing things like that again soon.

herthabsc.de: A not-too-serious question to end off with: Did you manage to get yourself any Mate-Tee? I know you love to drink it.

Ascacibar: No worries at all for me, I bagged myself 2 kilos and now we’re all sorted (laughs).