“Enough is enough!”: Preetz has to fight, Labbadia win

Friday, January 22, 2021

"Enough is enough!"
Preetz has to fight, Labbadia win

At Hertha BSC, expectations and reality diverge ever further. For many, managing director Michael Preetz is to blame for the self-proclaimed "Big City Club" having to look at the relegation ranks rather than at Europe. The pressure keeps increasing.

Even the police are amazed. Around 70 people want to demonstrate in front of the Berlin Olympic Stadium on Saturday – not because of the Corona measures or for political reasons, but because of Hertha BSC. There are fans of the old lady who are demanding the resignation of manager Michael Preetz and president Werner Gegenbauer immediately before the home game against Werder Bremen (6.30 p.m. / Sky). The motto of their associated online petition is: "Enough is enough!"

This is not only the opinion of the 70 protesters or the 4,000 signatories of the petition, but also many other critics. In eleven years as Hertha managing director, Preetz has weathered many a storm, even now the headwind is fierce. Too many wrong decisions by coaches, players and a sometimes catastrophic external image of the club are accused of Preetz. "I face my responsibility in good times, but especially in difficult times," said Preetz fiercely: "It is my responsibility to change the situation as quickly as possible."

But how long can he do that? The "kicker" reported a contact between the capital city club and Ralf Rangnick, who would claim complete sporting power in the event of a commitment. "Nothing at all" is true of this speculation, said Preetz tightly on Thursday.

"We should have made more points"

Preetz's position would weaken it considerably if he had to fire a coach in Bruno Labbadia for the fourth time in the last two years. Labbadia could hardly be held in the event of a defeat against Bremen, already now Hertha's lead on relegation rank 16 is only two points. The club actually wanted to knock on the door to Europe with Lars Windhorst's millions of investors.

"Where we are now, the first civic duty is to increase the distance to the lower places," demanded Preetz. Coach Labbadia, who saved the team from looming relegation last season, now has to deliver. "I'm not going in there with fear," said the 54-year-old. He could "understand" the discussions about himself, said Labbadia: "We should have made more points, we have to face the criticism." The coach fears a similar patience game against Bremen as against TSG Hoffenheim (0: 3), which his team had put in the sand after a good start.

"We have to deal with mistakes better and stay patiently in our heads", demanded Labbadia, who expects Bremen to be "very compact, very orderly and deeply standing". It was still open on Friday morning whether Labbadia could rely on its star player Matheus Cunha. A DFB investigation is underway against the Brazilian, and there is a risk of a subsequent ban. Cunha is suspected of having made an insulting spell in the direction of the opposing coaching bench in the game at 1. FC Köln (0-0).