“It’s about building trust”

Arne Friedrich discusses a turbulent 2020, his responsibilities at Hertha BSC, the pandemic’s impact, the development of the side and aims and wishes for the coming year.

Arne Friedrich returned to the capital at the end of November 2019, back to his club, back to Hertha BSC. The former player made 288 appearances for the club between 2002 and 2010, leading the ‘Old Lady’ as captain in Germany and internationally. The 41-year-old began working as a performance manager before taking on the challenge of sporting director in the second half of the year. The former national player has experienced the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on football and specifically on Hertha BSC from close up in this extraordinary year.

Friedrich spoke to herthabsc.de about the last twelve months, the highs and lows and special sporting moments.

Arne Friedrich on…

…starting work at Hertha BSC: Deciding to join Hertha BSC and return to the football business was something I did really quickly – it went from 0 to 100 (laughs). The term ‘performance manager’ is not one that many people knew in Germany at the time, but I knew it from the USA so it was an attractive and exciting opportunity for me. I had the chance to see how things worked and have a close look at where we could improve things in certain areas around the first team. The first task was obviously getting to know the players, staff and the processes at the club. I’ve listened a lot and had lots of conversations to build up trust – always aiming to make improvements. It was a turbulent time for the club with the change of head coach and it was a difficult sporting situation. I wanted to play my part in helping us return to successful times.

…the break in March due to coronavirus: The whole situation was just surreal. I think it was like that for lots of people in all walks of life. We were on the bus headed to the airport to fly to Hoffenheim when we heard of the break, but the club dealt with the situation very professionally from the start. Henrik Kuchno and our fitness coaches worked really hard during the lockdown and quarantine, so the players continued to work hard virtually despite the difficult circumstances. At the time, I tried to continue doing my job as well as I could. I was constantly in discussion with Michael Preetz and the new coaching staff to talk through all possible scenarios and be prepared for everything.

…Bruno Labbadia taking charge: Bruno and his team, Eddy Sözer, Olaf Janßen and Günter Kern, took charge at a really difficult time for the side. The players were feeling it and there was the uncertainty too from coronavirus. But together they managed to give the side structure on the pitch again. They came with clear ideas and implemented them. You could see in the first game after the restart that everyone was working together intensively and diligently. Getting three points in Hoffenheim in the precarious situation we were in was really important. The confidence slowly came back with the derby win against Union a week later. Although there were still ups and downs until the end of the season, we were safe and could finish the season without worrying.

…his first transfer window as sporting director: I basically went straight into my new role at the end of the season and got to know my new responsibilities. As sporting director, I’m obviously more involved in planning the squad and have a say in those decisions and other things involved on the playing side. My first transfer window in this role was just crazy – it was impossible to predict how transfer activity would develop due to coronavirus. Negotiations didn’t make it any easier. The transfer window pushed us hard. Our challenge was to change the squad in key areas. We consciously made an effort to bring about real change and move on senior players at the end of the season. Then, we had to lay the foundations to allow new structures in the team to grow. That process hasn’t been completed yet, we’re constantly having a look at it and shaping it.

…the side’s development: The team is in a process that will take more time to be complete. We’ve signed lots of young, very talented players who have many years ahead of them. They need to grow together; we have 13 nationalities in the squad and boys who have been learning German. We keep getting closer as a team, and you could see that in some games. But it’s also clear that a new hierarchy doesn’t appear overnight. We’re always looking at how we can support this development. We still need time, but we’re on the right path – and obviously everything is easier when we’re winning games. There’s nothing more important than sporting success, than wins and points.

…sporting highs, frustrating defeats and special sporting moments: The two derby wins against Union were particularly good moments and a great feeling. But they would have been so much better if our fans had been able to celebrate with us. Lots of sporting moments are only special because of the fans there in the stadium. We saw how precious having fans in the stadium is when 4,000 fans returned to the Olympic Stadium, even if that statement would’ve been unthinkable just a year ago. The win in Hoffenheim after the break in May was also one of the highlights. The team played really well, and we relieved a lot of pressure with the three points. We sat with the coaching staff afterwards and celebrated a little. But there were also avoidable defeats; the loss at home against Stuttgart was really frustrating, because we should’ve performed much better. Defeats are inherently negative. The draw against Mainz in the last home game of the year wasn't enough, and the manner of our defeat in Freiburg was disappointing too. We need to learn from these sorts of games.

…gaining experience and personal lessons: Day-to-day work has shown again what the most important thing is: life’s all about people. It’s about building trust. Trust is the basic thing you need to get the most out of people. If you have that, it’s easier to shape things within an organisation, to integrate, to change and to lead. Change and progress is only possible with people.

…life at Hertha during the coronavirus pandemic: The coronavirus turned life as we knew it completely upside down. The effects that it has had on all of us are obvious, and it’s no different for Hertha BSC – the financial consequences are undeniable. But when you look at the bigger picture, we’re doing relatively well. Other sectors of society such as gastronomy and culture have been hit much harder than us. Behind every restaurant and every theatre are the fates of individuals and their families. Of course, there are also the staff in hospitals and care facilities, in supermarkets or in the education sector, who do a lot every day. I’m happy that we’ve been able to help in whatever way that we can as a club, be it through aid packages, food trucks, the asparagus harvest or 'Herthaner helfen' (Herthaner help). The crisis has made us all realise how crucial it is that we all help each other out. I also have hope that it will help to speed up things like digitalisation.

…hopes for the new year – sporting and private: In terms of football, I'm hoping that we can kick off the year by picking up points and finally showing what this team is capable of. Ideally, we’d be celebrating our wins with fans in the stadium again. Connected to that, there’s obviously the big wish that the coronavirus pandemic becomes a thing of the past. Health is and remains the biggest thing. Personally, I’d like to continue and further my charitable work. With my great team behind me, we’ve implemented plenty of ideas this year and started new projects. Supporting people who are having difficulties due to illness or sudden events in their lives is brilliant and close to my heart.