Using the time well

Now is an opportunity to take a breather and come back strong as the first international break of the year gives the players time to come together and prepare for the remaining nine Bundesliga games in the 2022/23 season. “The boys are critical of themselves because they know exactly how we have played. The focus now is on improving the feeling in every training session,” explained Sandro Schwarz ahead of the last international break of the season.

Serdar and Uremović training individually

On Tuesday, the head coach had a total of twelve outfield players and four goalkeepers at Schencekndorffplatz, which was a smaller group than usual, firstly because five Hertha players are away on international duty, and also because Márton Dárdai, Marc Kempf, Jean-Paul Boëtius, Chidera Ejuke and Kélian Nsona were absent due to injury. Suat Serdar and Filip Uremović were training individually due to work load, and the remaining Hertha players worked hard during the 75-minute session. The coaching team started the week with a lot of passing drills and six-on-six games. “We combined the fitness session in the morning with small-sided games and short runs. On Wednesday we will have one or two more players, so we will be able to play some bigger games. On Thursday we will have finishing sessions and on Friday we will work on set pieces,” said Schwarz on the main plans to make the most of the time.

Charity match on Friday against Berliner AK

The focus also turns to Friday, when the Old Lady will play a charity match at the Poststadion against Regionalliga side Berliner AK (24/3 18:00 CET). “We want to take this seriously and focus on our own game and consistency. We need to bring a good attitude, body language and energy to the match”, emphasised the head coach. The charity match at the Poststadion is also a sign of solidarity. Both clubs will donate all the proceeds from the match to help the victims of the tragic earthquakes in Turkey. There will also be opportunities for the fans to watch the team in the coming days, with the other sessions this week being open to the public.