Temperatures in Mallorca are lingering around 20 degrees Celsius at this time of year; ideal conditions for the team’s preparations for the restart of the Bundesliga in the new year. After a relaxed first training session on the Spanish island, the head coach spoke about the planned for the week ahead, a smaller group of players and young players involved. Bo Svensson was pleased with the conditions and the weather in the camp. “Everything is great here, we’ve got blue skies and sunshine, which is something we didn’t see any of last week in Mainz. The hotel is good, the pitch is good, and I have a really good feeling so far.”
The head coach was in a good mood as he spoke to journalists at the Ciutat Esportiva Antonio Asensio training ground at the Estadi Son Bibiloni late on Monday afternoon. The club have forced to change their plans due to the surgery on Jonny Burkardt and muscle strain suffered by Stefan Bell, who has travelled with the team regardless. Despite that, Svensson was positive about the injuries, with both players expected to be back for the start of training in the new year. “The timing is never ideal, but it’s better than if we were in the middle of the season.” The coach is optimistic about the pair’s recovery and said that both players will probably have fewer days off between Christmas and the new year and should be back at the beginning of January.
Afternoons off, team events and cheering on Lee
The decision to include Karim Onisiwo in the traveling squad, despite the forward training individually, was made with team spirit in mind – something the head coach wants to focus on in the coming days. The morning sessions will be followed by team lunch at the hotel, before the players have afternoons free to spend as they wish, with the exception of thw two planned frienldies on Wednesday and Saturday. “They will be organised into small groups and there will also be team bonding events,” said Svensson.
Five players from the youth teams make up the group of players taking part in the camp in Mallorca. “We have brought players who have been performing well for a long period of time U19s and U23s, that’s also because we have a few absentees. They give their all in training with us; we know that, and we can see it,” said Svensson on Lucas Laux, Kaito Mizuta, Timothé Rupil, David Mamutovic and Brajan Gruda.
We have brought players who have been performing well for a long period of time U19s and U23s.
However, the team’s free time will effectively only really start on day two, as the plan for Monday evening was never in doubt: Mainz midfielder Jae-sung Lee is playing one of the biggest games of his career as he and South Korean take on Brazil in the World Cup quarter-finals. “We have a nice room where we’ll all watch the game together,” said Svensson.