Former World Cup Defender Turned Hertha Berlin Performance Manager on Being Back
As the world waits for the return of football, or soccer as it is called in America, we look across the globe to discover how players are preparing and what are the best practices. In Germany, the Bundesliga club Hertha Berlin is back at training — but it looks very different than pre-pandemic practice.
“Very optimistic about the launch of the Bundesliga without people in the stadium.”
Arne Friedrich
Currently the Performance Manager of the Bundesliga club Hertha BSC, Arne Friedrich is a German football legend — the former defender played 82 times for the German National Team and was the Coach/Manager of Germany U18 National Team. The former 2010 FIFA World Cup defender also played for MLS’s Chicago Fire before hanging up his professional cleats and becoming a highly respected coach and Fox Sports TV analyst.
Soccer is in Friedrich’s blood and like so many other players and coaches around the world, he is eager to have games restart as soon as medical experts and government officials permit its safe return after the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
“The DFL (Deutsche Fußball Liga/German Football League)’s COVID-19 Task Force has done an amazing job working out regulations and how to proceed to have players return to the field,” said Arnie Friedrich, Performance Manager of the Bundesliga club Hertha BSC.
“The past few weeks have been challenge for each and every club.”
Arne Friedrich
“There are different rules and regulations in the various states in Germany, so depending upon where the team is, some clubs were allowed to practice with groups of eight players, others with fewer,” said Friedrich.
Read: GERMANY’S FORMER WORLD CUP STAR ARNE FRIEDRICH ON DEVELOPING AMERICAN SOCCER PLAYERS
Just like America, the country of Germany is divided by 16 Federal States, each with its own local government.
“At Hertha, we started training with groups of eight players,” said Friedrich. ” Now, we have three groups of nine players, plus a separate group for the goalkeepers. It has been important to make sure they were no more than eight players per group and we are all on different practice fields.
The whole idea behind it is that if there is a positive Coronavirus test results on one player, we could separate the others.
“Our club has done a great job and we have been preparing ourselves for the last two weeks — we hope as soon as the politicians give us the go-ahead to practice as a team soon, we will be able to bring in all players on one field,” said Friedrich.
“We are very optimistic even though it’s hard for us as a team.”
Arne Friedrich
“We have a new head coach and we were not allowed to shake hands or give other players a hug so it’s all a little bit different than usual, but I think we did it in the best possible way,” added Friedrich.
Read: BUNDESLIGA’S PLAYERS TRAIN — WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING
Bruno Labbadia was appointed the new head coach of Hertha Berlin earlier this month, officially succeeding Jurgen Klinsmann who stepped down in February.
Friedrich also advises Eddie Loewen, CEO of Global Soccer Development — which focuses on providing top American youth soccer players with trails in Bundesliga clubs and offering youth soccer training, trips, and competitions in Europe.
Read: IMPACT ON COVID-19: BUNDESLIGA STATEMENT ON RETURNING TO PLAY
