Hertha Berlin

Following the signing of Florian Niederlechner on Tuesday, Hertha BSC are delighted to announce the signing of Fabian Reese from Holstein Kiel. The 25-year-old striker has agreed terms until 2026 and will join the club in the summer. “Fabian Reese has developed really well over the past couple of seasons and has garnered the attention of quite a few clubs. We are delighted that he has chosen Hertha BSC. He is a fast, dynamic striker who can play both through the middle and out wide,” explained Fredi Bobic.

Fredrik Bjørkan will leave Hertha BSC and join FK Bodø/Glimt. The 24-year-old had been on loan at Feyenoord since the start of this season, but will now return to his hometown club. “We are pleased to have found a suitable solution for all sides with this transfer. We would like to thank Fredrik for his efforts and wish him all the best for the future,” said sporting director Fredi Bobic on Wednesday.

Home to sports and training facilities for football, basketball, baseball, golf and tennis, the IMG Academy in Florida is the base from which Hertha are preparing for the remainder of the season. With 20 training pitches, large performance centres with weight rooms and fantastic regeneration facilities, head coach Sandro Schwarz is pleased. “We’ve arrived here in good shape and are looking forward to the top conditions. We went on a little run and inspected the grounds. There’s a great atmosphere here and it’s exciting to come across other sports.”

After training with Hertha on Thursday morning in Florida, Deyovaisio Zeefuik departed camp to head to Italy. He is set to join Hellas Verona FC on loan, subject to a medical and the signing of the contract. The Italians will also have an option to buy the defender.

It’s safe to say that Oliver Christensen and the rest of the squad are putting in the hard work at the training camp in Florida. Although the sessions are tough, the 23-year-old goalkeeper is in his element. It is clear to see that even after the World Cup and a long winter break, Christensen is ready to give his all in Andreas Menger’s arduous goalkeeping sessions. The number one also believes that the rest of the squad are of a similar mindset: “The conditions here are great. Everyone is fit, getting stuck in and we’re all happy to be together again as a group. That is what is required,” he explained.

Dodi Lukébakio is in space on the right wing. He looks up and spots Jessic Ngankam in the centre. The striker is round the back of the defence, meets his teammate’s cross at the far post and forces the ball over the line. He gives a quick thumbs up to Dodi for the cross, gets back to the half-way line and carries on. This is just one of the moments from our Florida training camp so far, which underlines the fact that our number 24 wants to show himself off in America and not waste any time. “The training sessions are all very intense – we’re honing our game so that we can improve for the rest of the season. We want nothing but points when we get back! That’s where I want to do my bit,” said the 22-year-old as he spoke to herthabsc.com about the first set of training sessions in Bradenton, where the whole team “are coming across as dangerous and fighting for every ball.”

In between the tough training sessions in Florida, our players are getting the chance to speak to the media. Here we caught up with Jean-Paul Boëtius ahead of the two friendlies on Sunday evening. The Dutchman is getting stuck in at the camp and he believes the conditions at the IMG Academy are perfect for the team: “The level of professionalism at the academy is outstanding. I don’t go in the weight rooms all that often normally, but here I very much do!”, he joked. Djanga also discussed the spirit within the team, his first few months in Berlin and his aims for 2023.

The first friendly at the Florida training camp saw head coach Sandro Schwarz use a 4-3-3 formation against Club de Lyon FC. Oliver Christensen started in goal, with Jonjoe Kenny, Filip Uremović, Márton Dárdai and Julian Eitschberger in the back four. Suat Serdar, captain Prince Boateng and Lucas Tousart occupied the midfield, while Dodi Lukébakio, Derry Scherhant and Myziane Maolida made up the attack.

After a 3-0 win against Club de Lyon, Hertha BSC were also triumphant in their second friendly of the day against The Villages SC, which they won 7-1. Head coach Sandro Schwarz went with a 4-2-3-1 formation for the second match of the day, with Tjark Ernst in goal and captain Peter Pekarík, Agustín Rogel, Marc Kempf and Maximilian Mittelstädt in defence. Ivan Šunjić and Jean-Paul Boëtius lined up in defensive midfield, while Marco Richter, Stevan Jovetić and Chidera Ejuke were in attack. Wilfried Kanga was the lone striker up top.

Hertha BSC will have to do without Chidera Ejuke for the time being. Due to a ligament injury in his knee, which he sustained during the friendly against The Villages SC, Hertha’s attack will miss the upcoming training sessions and matches. It means that the winger will be out for the restart of Bundesliga action at VfL Bochum (21.01.23, 15:30 CET). The Nigerian will make his journey home to Berlin on Tuesday. “Of course, this is a great pity for Chidi and for our team, he has an invigorating energy both on and off the pitch due to his positive attitude,” explained Sandro Schwarz, but he is already looking ahead with confidence: “We are working from this moment onwards to ensure that he can join us as soon as possible.”