Bundesliga: Dardai’s plan to save Hertha: Have a beer with Davie

Worries about relegation are huge, the financial crisis is also depressing the mood, but in Pal Dardai’s big footballer’s heart there is even room for a striker from the next opponent.

When asked about Davie Selke, the Hertha BSC coach was downright sentimental at the press conference before the next Berlin final for staying in the Bundesliga class on Friday (8.30 p.m. / DAZN) at 1. FC Köln. “I wish him to stay healthy, play against us, even score a goal,” said Dardai, to follow up immediately, “but we win 2-1. Then we can have a nice beer.”

Selke, who was transferred from Berlin to Cologne in the winter due to economic necessity, is a reminder for Dardai of his first time as a Hertha coach. “Davie and I worked from the first moment. He always played well for me,” Dardai recalled. Career paths have been similarly bumpy since 2019. Selke could not really meet the high expectations of his potential either at Hertha or on loan to Werder Bremen. Dardai had to go twice at his Berlin heart club – was only ever good enough as a rescuer. Like now again.

Will Selke become a spoilsport for Hertha?

Selke also finds the point that he of all people could almost certainly send Hertha towards the 2nd division somewhat funny. “It’s going to be a special game. Of course I’m always looking at Berlin. Not too much will happen with us in tabular form. It’s funny when I say that they can still do it and we’re still playing against them,” he said 28-year-old before finally securing Cologne’s Bundesliga affiliation with his brace against Bayer Leverkusen last week.

So Selke can go into the duel relaxed. Dardai not. In the event of a defeat, not only would his cocky-looking, but sportingly unalterable leitmotif for the final spurt of the season be passé after the second stage. Four games, four wins, that would no longer be possible. In the worst case, Hertha could be relegated on Sunday afternoon – parallel to its own general meeting – not yet in fact, but in practice. Namely: when the competition from Schalke and Stuttgart wins their games.

Dardai with a hard hand and a big heart

However, Dardai has never liked the subjunctive and theory. For his third and greatest Hertha miracle, the grumpy, cheerful Hungarian is relying on his genuine strengths: a hard hand and a big heart. Finally he finds the atmosphere acceptable. “It’s a completely different working atmosphere. Everyone listens,” he describes the success of his educational measures in a team that has been characterized as difficult to train for years.

The eleven that gave the first sign of hope in the 2-1 win against Stuttgart should play against Cologne. Dardai relies on a “similar compactness”, but also wants to incorporate “surprise effects”. He also has to in view of the fact that he is five points behind Schalke 04 in 15th place, which would mean direct rescue.

Dardai’s Berlin problem is complicated by the constantly leaking news about the financial difficulties and the threat of license withdrawal. It has also not yet been officially clarified whether the Hertha construct with investor 777 Partners is compatible with the regulations of the German Football League. Losses of a monetary nature because contracts have to be changed could endanger the existence of Hertha.

Dardai’s victory plan would no longer be of any use. However, the trainer cannot let his concentration wander and reacted to the non-sporting misery with a reference to the Berlin quote from the former Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit (“poor, but sexy”): “We don’t have money. But we have a lot of heart “, said Dardai – and not only for Davie Selke.