Run, fight, and dig deep!
The Hertha boys are back and they’re getting straight down to work: Just one day after the team’s first session at the Hanns-Braun-Stadion, the players departed for Neuruppin on Thursday morning, a town some 60 miles outside of Berlin, where they will begin preparations for 2021/22 at a training camp. "This isn’t my first time in Neuruppin. It won’t be a pleasant few days, but we all know how important and helpful an intense pre-season is," said Marvin Plattenhardt.
Two friendlies arranged plus two sessions a day
Whilst in Neuruppin, head coach Pál Dárdai will be putting his team to work twice a day out on the Volksparkstadion pitch, which will also be the location for the two friendlies against SV Schwarz-Rot Neustadt on Thursday (18:30 CEST) and MSV Neuruppin on the following Wednesday (15:30 CEST).
Four goalkeepers and 22 outfield players
Over the coming week, 26 Hertha players in total will have the opportunity to prove themselves to the coaching staff. Three players are joining the 23 men involved in the opening session yesterday: Academy goalkeeper Florian Palmowski, youngster Anton Kade and U21 European champion Arne Maier. The 26 players have some gruelling days ahead of them. "Our so-called fitness training camp is a little old fashioned, but the lads start respecting one another towards the end of the week, because everyone who got through it is proud of the others that did so too – that really gels a team," said Dárdai, commenting on the benefits of this strenuous week of training, which, for the 45-year-old head coach, are absolutely indispensable: "I think it’s important. I am aware of the new methods, where you do all your fitness training with the ball at your feet, but I’ve always gone with this and we’ve always had positive experiences with it," he said. Run, fight and dig deep – that’s the Hertha motto for the two upcoming training camps.