Die Alte Dame rejuvinated – A story of Hertha BSC Berlin

Index

Part 1 - Introduction
Part 2 - The first week
Article: Ernst Mertens - Is it too early to hand him the reigns?
Part 3 – Preseason: The story of a Transfer
Part 4 – Preseason: The friendlies

Part 1 – Introduction

The Story of Hertha Berlin and their new young manager begins

My name is Andreas Esbech and is a freelance journalist who has struggled to make a living because my niche work hasn’t sold that well. I have been working on several pieces concerning the inner life of a football team. The big newspapers wouldn’t buy it as I did not have much inside information so I was chasing leads down 2nd and even 3rd hand sources. This is not ideal working conditions, but a few online football magazines bought some of my articles which gave me just enough money to keep me afloat.

Last week I got the call of a lifetime, when Michael Preetz, Director of Football in Hertha BSC Berlin, called me up and told me he had an offer for me. He started out by telling me of the clubs great history, how the team had won the league cup twice back in the early 2000’s, but their main merits was that they had won the league in 1930 and 1931. He continued talking about the club training facilities which apparently was very good. He still hadn’t explained the offer he was about to make and I started thinking about what it could be. Then it struck me: “He wants me to become the manager of the team! Why else would he talk so much about the history of the club and its facilities? But isn’t Otto Rehagel their manager?” I had only finished the last thought when Preetz told me that Rehagel had resigned only a few hours before and it had yet to be announced in public. I seemed oblivious to the fact that I might just have had the biggest journalistic scoop of my entire career and my thoughts that I was becoming an actual football manager intensified. Preetz went on to talk a bit about the players, but still all I could think of was how it could be possible that a Erste Bundesliga team was hiring me as manager. I have no qualification, I’m 26 years old, and I haven’t shown any talent in regards to football. But I had shown that I understood the workings of a dressing room. Was that the main reason for me being hired? Preetz interrupted my train of thoughts by saying: “So you can see we really need a new manager and this time we want a young one we can trust for a longer period of time”. I could hardly contain myself; they wanted me a 26 year old Danish journalist who has only played amateur football as their new manager!

Then my heart dropped to the lowest point it has ever dropped to. Preetz told me that they were hiring a new manager named Ernst Mertens, a 28 year old who had until recently managed a local team in Kreuzberg. Preetz went on and told me that Mertens was believed to be one of the biggest managerial talents in Germany and that they were thrilled to have him aboard. At this point my mind started wandering again, why did Preetz call me? What was his offer to me? At this point he told me that because Mertens was so young they needed the good publicity. So what he wanted to ask me was whether I would be interested in covering the ups and downs in the dressing room during the first year of the Ernst Mertens project. He wanted me to keep a diary and occasionally leak information to the press. I was still confused; going from being a manager in the best German division to an in-house journalist wasn’t easy to get my head around. I told Michael Preetz that I would think about it and hung up. 10 minutes and an entire carton of milk later I rang Preetz up and accepted his offer. I was really looking forward to starting this new challenge.

I salute your writing! Good luck!

Nice twist to your story, and I'm loving the unique angle of covering it from a journalist's point of view. Really nice. Keep writing.

Here are some of the challenges I think you should address:

You have a great opportunity of painting a picture of the new manager. As a journalist, you can describe him from a third-person viewpoint.

The other advantage of being a third-person viewer in the story is that you can keep emotions aside and just do the reporting. You can comment on the tactics, the players, the transfers without any bias.

Your challenge will be that because you're just a journalist, you might not get access to some of the boardroom conversations, so it will be interesting to see if you can add some drama to your story and present it in a newspaper-style.

Part 2 - The first week

http://www.spox.com/de/sport/fussball/zweiteliga/1006/Bilder/michael-preetz-fuehrungsstil-514.jpg
Michael Preetz has taken a huge chance in signing 28 year old Ernst Mertens

I arrived at Hanns-Braun-Straße at 7.45 am 14th of June 2011, I was greeted by Preetz who said that he had been there since 6 in order to make everything ready for the new manager, who was due to arrive at 8. At a few minutes past 8 an old Opel drove up to the front entrance of the main building. Its driver was a young man, roughly my age; he was a tall man, skinny and with a head filled with golden curls. He wore just a plain white t-shirt and jeans. He looked more like your average college student than a football manager. He walked through the front door, where I was still talking to Michael Preetz, the young man came up to us and greeted me with: “Hallo, Ich bin Ernst.” His large booming voice took me by surprise and my jaw must have hit the floor because Ernst gave me a puzzled look. I hadn’t for a second thought that he could be the new manager, even though I knew he was only 28.

The first thing on Ernst Mertens’ agenda was to meet with me; we had to establish a few ground rules for my writing. It turned out that during contract negotiations it was Mertens’ idea to have a journalist around to make sure everything was spun the right way, when communicating with the press. He had heard of me because one of his friends was the editor of one of the online magazines that had bought an article I had written, which was about the dressing room disputes of HSV earlier in the year. It was my best piece and got printed in a local Hamburg newspaper. We spent an hour talking about football, journalism, psychology, and about our common feeling of surprise of being seated where we were. It turned out that Ernst trusted me enough to let me follow him everywhere or at least the places where he was in charge, so the board room was off limits, but we agreed that he would give me the bits and pieces he was allowed to reveal.

Ernst’s next move was to meet with the club staff. He walked into the management quarters and saw his name already on the door. Michael Peetz had revealed to me earlier that the sign had been hung up no more than half an hour ago, but it looked professional and welcoming. He met with his staff who offered him opinions on everything going on inside and outside the club. After he had dismissed the scouts and coaches by agreeing to almost all of their suggestions it was on to talking to the team. This was a much harder task, even though he was younger than anyone else employed as a staff member there was also several players who was older than him and even more who considered themselves contemporaries. He started out by rattling the cage and saying that none of them was safe, not from being cut from the first team, not from being transferred and not from getting yelled at if they didn’t do as he pleased. I noticed that Peter Niemeyer looked away and looked disinterested, much like many in the team. There didn’t seem to be much respect around Ernst Mertens a young man who had just come in from Kreuzberg in his old Opel Astra.

It didn’t take long for Ernst to stir things up by showing he was serious about no one could feel safe. Two days after he had taken over he sold Peter Niemeyer to Leverkusen for 5.000.000 € as he said: “We need the money and he didn’t fit in to our plans”. Soon after the Leverkusen agreement was done Mertens called up one of his old friends and asked about that Mexican kid, if he would be interested in coming to Germany. After a week in charge it was publicized that Carlos Fierro would be joining Hertha Berlin on the 24th of july 2012, a little over a year away.

Ernst Mertens - Is it too early to hand him the reigns?

From: DerSturmer.de
Date: 1st July 2011
By: Andreas Esbech, freelance journalist

http://bundesligafootball.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/326401554-hertha-berlin-olympiastadion-fans.91.jpg
The Hertha BSC fans are sceptic of the appointment of Ernst Mertens

Having been in control of Hertha Berlin for nearly two weeks now, the young up and coming managerial talent have already upset some of the more established players and staff in the club by revolutionising the training regime and setting a new order in which the players work. This has led to many fans, experts and other managers to question whether Mertens was old enough for the responsibility to manage a Bundesliga team. Mertens agreed that he was very young, but also tried to knock off the rumours that he didn’t have a strategy for managing af football team. “I have some ideas as to how I want my team to train, play and behave. I expect the players will respect my decisions and follow them accordingly.” Mertens has quickly established himself as someone who comes down hard on disobedience. Peter Niemeyer was quickly shifted to Bayer Leverkusen for 5 million € despite being one of the best players on the team. “You can’t base a football team on your best player, if he was essential to our plans we would have looked silly if he had gotten injured. No player is above the team, no player is safe from being sold if the price is right.” Mertens added to the question about whether it was prudent of him to sell one of the teams best players. Mertens added “I would rather have a deep squad than one or two star players, if we are to compete in the 3 national tournaments this year we need more squad depth.” When pressed Mertens even divulged which positions he was prioritising, “I want one or two wingers, preferably one who can start at left wing and another who can backup both wings.”

Some fan groups have already taken to Mertens’ approach. “I really like the idea that he seems to say “no one is above the team” and isn’t willing to compromise. I’m sad to see Niemeyer go, but I can accept that we needed the money.” A fan told us whilst shopping at the club megastore and just before he left he added, “Oh, and the fact that he is a local lad really helps too”. Ernst Mertens is indeed a local lad, he grew up in Spandau only a short distance from the Olympic Stadium. He grew up as a Hertha Berlin supporter and joined the under 15 squad as a 14 year old and was at one point destined to be a future great for the Berlin team. However a career ending injury occurred at the age of 17 in a friendly match against Chemnitzer FC. Where a reckless tackle shattered his left kneecap, he went through 3 years of physiotherapy and never got back to playing top level football. Mertens involvement in physiotherapy, kinetics and sports medicine made him interested in the physical and psychological aspect of football. At the age 25 he graduated university with a combined degree of Sports Psychology and Sports Physiology. He got a job at a local Kreuzberg team as the head coach, the amateur team managed to be promoted from the Kreisliga B to the Bezirksliga, a promotion each season.

Ernst Mertens is a sports academic and has spent many years studying the mental and physical performance of top level athletes. A background which takes him ahead of the game according to Mertens himself, “I believe that I’m educated as a football manager, I’ve studied football players most of my academic career and my thesis was about the mental and physical strains on a football team during a season, it has given me some wonderful input”. Whether Mertens’ education or his inexperience is a favour or a disadvantage to the team only time will tell.

Andreas, if someone new on the site asks me what story they should look at for inspiration, I will recommend yours. Awesome, awesome stuff.

Andreas, my friend, this is my new favourite story on FM-Scout. I love the detail, I love how you've done your research into it. Very nicely done. Keep up the quality!

Keep up the good work mate! It's awesome!

#64066 akash.vidyasagar : Andreas, if someone new on the site asks me what story they should look at for inspiration, I will recommend yours. Awesome, awesome stuff.

#64068 Gurdit : Andreas, my friend, this is my new favourite story on FM-Scout. I love the detail, I love how you've done your research into it. Very nicely done. Keep up the quality!

Coming from two great story writers, this is about the best praise I can get!

Part 3 – Preseason: The story of a Transfer

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Bashkim Kadrii - The Danish international is the newest man in the Hertha BSC Squad

“There are some managers who believe that the key phrase in preseason training is conditioning, conditioning, conditioning. This is not true! This is about fundamentals; this is about going back to basics. Learning our skills all over so that when the new season starts we will not miss a pass, we will not miss a tackle, we will not miss a chest trap. There is no excuse for lacking the fundamental skills of football, especially at this level!”

This was the opening statement of Ernst Mertens to his team the first day of practice. A lot of the players looked bewildered but somehow encouraged. Everyone in the team would get the chance to show that they possessed the necessary skills to make the first team. There was going to be some inevitable changes made, the first was Peter Niemeyer who had left the club earlier in the morning. The day after the club announced, just before the daily training started, that they have signed the Croatian winger Stiven Rivic. This was the first signing to come into the first team.

A few days later I was asked to fly to Denmark with Michael Preetz, so I had to leave the daily preseason training and have a few days in my home country. On the plane ride to Copenhagen Michael told me that we were going there to see if we could sign a winger from my hometown of Odense. He had acquired a DVD from a friend a week before and we were now going to Denmark to negotiate a fee and a contract as well as having a look at the player in the preseason training. I got no name, but knowing my home team there could be only two options, we were going there to sign either Icelandic international Rurik Gislason or the Danish international Bashkim Kadrii. We landed in Copenhagen airport and picked up an Audi, provided by the club’s exclusive partners, and started our drive to Odense. I was driving the car when Michael picked up the phone and spoke for a few minutes about a maximum fee and how badly they wanted him. Within minutes everything was agreed and Michael was quiet the rest of the way, checking his emails. We arrived in Odense just before the morning training session where we met up with the Odense Boldklub CEO Thomas Christensen and Head Coach Henrik Clausen. We stood there and talked for a minute and a young man came up and greeted us, I instantly recognised the Danish international, he came up and greeted us and said that he was pleased we had come. He was followed by a short stocky man with most of his hair shaved off; he introduced himself as Morten Harbo, mr. Kadrii’s agent. Bashkim Kadrii turned about and joined the rest of the squad for training.

Michael Preetz didn’t speak during the entire training session and I only opened my mouth to tell the local sports press who the man looking on were and where he came from. The local reporter was quick to deduce which player we were looking at, despite the fact he hadn’t seen the encounter between us and Bashkim Kadrii. After the training session we were invited up to the Sports Director office, which had been vacant since the sacking of Kim Brink. We were offered coffee and ten minutes later Bashkim Kadrii and his agent walked through the door, followed shortly after by Henrik Clausen. All four sat opposite me and Preetz, who had told me to keep quiet and not utter a single word during the negotiations. The entire conversation was conducted in English and they agreed that the currency dealt in would be euros. It was fun to observe the formalities that went on and I was getting more and more excited by being put in this situation. Preetz started out by saying that he was interested in Bashkim Kadrii and wanted him to join Hertha BSC, both he and the head coach wanted him. Preetz offered 1.5 million €, and Thomas Christensen considered this and quickly rejected. Preetz asked what would work instead and Christensen answered that they wanted 3 million €. Preetz considered this and it left me thinking whether we now were inside the maximum margin agreed with whoever he was on the phone with in the car. Preetz then said, we will be willing to make a deal that gives you 2.5 million € over 2 years. We will also be willing to provide you with 25% of any profit made from a future sale. Thomas Christensen leaned back in his office chair and Bashkim Kadrii looked hopeful at him, he then said that they would have to think about it and they would have their answer tomorrow. Preetz was allowed to continue talking to Bashkim and see if they could agree on a contract. At this point Morten Harbo looked at me and said that he would prefer it that we didn’t talk about his client’s contract in front of a journalist. Without any arguments, I got up and walked out the door. It must have been easy negotiations because five minutes later the door opened and it seemed like a deal was done.

Interesting write-up. But a couple of points stick out. Why would the club's partners provide you with a car as luxurious as an Audi but not send a driver? Why would they let the guests drive? Unless you yourself wanted to drive it, perhaps?

Also, interesting the way the transfer negotiations were done. To begin with, I think the protocol should be that the clubs first agree the transfer fee, and only then is the agent involved? I don't know, I'm just guessing, really.

#64279 Gurdit : Interesting write-up. But a couple of points stick out. Why would the club's partners provide you with a car as luxurious as an Audi but not send a driver? Why would they let the guests drive? Unless you yourself wanted to drive it, perhaps?

Also, interesting the way the transfer negotiations were done. To begin with, I think the protocol should be that the clubs first agree the transfer fee, and only then is the agent involved? I don't know, I'm just guessing, really.

Well I don't know, when I cam to the airport Preetz said: You drive. And that was that.

As for the agent at the transfer dealings I have no idea how that goes on, but in this case he was there

Very clumsy but the content is awesome. work on your presentation.

#64638 sevannime : Very clumsy but the content is awesome. work on your presentation.

Thanks! Can I get you to elobarate? What is particularly clumsy?

For all of you, an update is in the making. Should be up no later than tomorrow (hopefully before)

Part 4 – Preseason: The friendlies

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Both Adrián Ramos and Fabian Lustenberger scored goals in the preseason friendlies

“The first matches of a season are always important to get everybody back in match fitness, but it is even more important when you are a new manager and need to know exactly how the players work together, how they react to different situations and how they think.” These were the words Ernst Mertens used to describe the importance of preseason friendlies. The preseason would also give an indication of the kind of football that Mertens wants to practice in the Bundesliga. The club had decided on two small tours and having all of the preseason friendlies away from home. “I would have liked that we had stayed a little closer to home, so our preparation wouldn’t have to be spent in a bus or a plane; but the tours were already planned when I arrived and cancelling in the 11th hour seemed a bit churlish.” The two tours were set in Israel and France. In the first tour Hertha played Hapoel Ako, Maccabi Be’er-Sheva and Hakoah Amidar of the Israeli premier league, the second tour the opposition were Racing CF Levallois 92 of the CFA 2 and USBCO of Ligue 2.

The five friendlies showed a very attacking style of play with a lot of short passes and a high tempo which also ended up with Hertha seeing most of the ball in the first four games. Mertens made quite an effort to get as many players a good amount of game time as possible; this meant that a lot of youngsters got game time in the preseason friendlies. Despite the use of many young players all preseason games saw Hertha BSC as winners, the Israeli tour ended with a combined score of 8-1. Bashkim Kadrii played in the first friendly against Ako and did a good job setting up for an own goal by Ako defender Yossi Milov. Rivic got his first minutes after being subbed in at the 58th minute in the second friendly against Be’er-Sheva, he set up a Ramos goal after having his shot blocked by the Israeli keeper.

The five preseason friendlies ended up with a combined score of 12-1 and Mertens was very pleased of what his team had shown him. “We met some pretty tricky opposition and it was great to see that we dominated the passing game in most of them, but I’m saddened to see that we only hit the target on 30% of our attempts, I would like that figure to be a little bit higher. Only in one game did more than a third of our strikes hit the target, and that was against a weaker opponent.” Mertens is a great believer in the use of statistics and these that he has mentioned has only scratched the surface of what he looks at prior to and after a game. As Mertens said: “Everyone can play football and the best footballers usually win, but it takes great skill and meticulous preparation in order to make the worse footballer win. Right now I haven’t got the best team in Germany, so what should I do? I need to prepare and understand every facet of the game before hand so I know how to control every situation should it arise”.

The Matches Played

H. Ako 0 – 2 Hertha BSC (6/7 2011)
Maik Franz – 25’
Yossi Milov - 50’

Be’er Sheva 0 – 2 Hertha BSC (9/7 2011)
Adrián Ramos – 17’
Adrián Ramos – 72’

Hakoah Amidar 1 – 4 Hertha BSC (13/7 2011)
Pierre-Michel Lasogga – 16’
Stiven Rivic – 50’
Itamar Tuito - 56’
Maik Franz – 87’
Amit Kadosh – 93’

RCF Levallois 92 0 – 3 Hertha BSC (20/7 2011)
Adrián Ramos – 13’
Clement Berger - 22’
Fabian Lustenberger – 59’
Patrick Ebert – 89’

USBCO 0 – 1 Hertha BSC (23/7 2011)
Maik Franz – 62’