Florian Niederlechner (32) is still waiting for his first goal for Hertha BSC. Nevertheless, he has settled in well in Berlin.
In 2019/20, Florian Niederlechner scored for FC Augsburg against Borussia Dortmund in both games – each for a 1-0 lead. Nevertheless, both games were lost for his then team, in Dortmund with 1:5 and at home with 3:5. Curious: With Niederlechner, who scored twice, and Marco Richter, two professionals scored all three Augsburg goals against BVB, who now play for Hertha BSC – and are guests in Dortmund on the upcoming Bundesliga matchday.
“On Sunday,” says Niederlechner, “I’d rather make it 2-0, then maybe something will happen.” He laughs at the sentence. The attacker, who came from Augsburg in January, has what Hertha needs: relaxation and passion. After training on Wednesday afternoon, Niederlechner spoke in a media round about …
That was really a great fight.
… the 4-1 win against Gladbach: “It was a huge relief that we finally won the first game of the new year. That was very, very important. You could see in the first 20 minutes that there was a bit of uncertainty. That’s quite clear when you’re down there “But when we played from the 20th minute, everyone in the stands noticed that we were a team. That was a really great fight. In the days after the game you noticed that everyone was more relaxed. That was pure relief.”
… Hertha’s start to 2023: “It wasn’t the start we were hoping for. If you start with four defeats, it’s a catastrophe for your head. I know that from Augsburg and Freiburg: When you’re at the bottom, it’s not easy for your head . That’s why we’re relieved now that we won convincingly.”
… his first weeks in Berlin: “They were definitely intense. First of all, I’m still living in the hotel, that annoys me the most. My family isn’t here yet, my two boys – it’s really not easy when you’re just in the hotel room. It wasn’t athletic either It was so easy, and the boys welcomed me very well.”
If you just wait and see against Dortmund, then you can count the minutes until it rattles.
… the atmosphere in the team: “The chemistry is great, it’s great fun. I already knew Marco, Kempfer and Suat from Augsburg, Freiburg and Mainz (Marco Richter, Marc Kempf, Suat Serdar, ed.). I do a lot with Marvin Plattenhardt. It’s great I have a lot of fun with the boys and if my family comes on March 1st I’ll be 100 percent happy.”
… his goals: “I want to stay healthy, otherwise nothing works. I want to score a lot of goals and assists. I’m 32, I probably won’t be a national player again and I won’t win the Champions League either. I just want Hertha to be successful. I’ll do everything for that . That is paramount.”
… the game in Dortmund: “We’re going there with an absolutely positive feeling. They haven’t lost a game in the new year, but at some point it will happen. I hope it will happen against us. It’s one of the toughest away games of the year “We’re playing against one of the best German teams, they really found each other. I hope they have a really tough game against Chelsea tonight and then underestimate us even more. This is our chance. You have to do it perfectly against the ball and be aggressive. And we have to act boldly. If you just let Dortmund play and wait and see, then you can count the minutes until it rattles. We’ll get counterattacks, and we have to convert them well.”
… the switch to 3-5-2: “Against Gladbach, that was only my second game for Hertha. It was difficult in Frankfurt as the sole striker. For me personally, it was good at the weekend (in a 3-5-2, ed.). Jessic (Jessic Ngankam, d. Red.) did it very well. When you play with two strikers, you always have one next to you who supports you and is there for second balls. It was great fun. I think we implemented it well .”
Niederlechner ticks off his dream of the MLS
… saying goodbye to Augsburg: “It ended up being clean. I have a lot to thank FCA for and I’ve done a lot for the club. When I signed in Berlin in January (initially for Sommer, ed.), things got a bit more turbulent for a short time in Augsburg. But in the end everything was fine. They understood that I decided to join Hertha so early. I became a professional footballer quite late, I didn’t sign my first real contract until I was 25 or 26. I have a family at home , I need planning certainty, I made that very clear to you.
After moving from Freiburg to Augsburg, I could have imagined that I would end my career in Augsburg because the club has become very dear to me. Then the FCA said they wouldn’t talk to me until April or May. I wasn’t sure if they even wanted to extend it then. My advisor then held talks with other clubs, including Hertha. When I was sure that Augsburg didn’t want to extend my contract, the talks became more intense. Then Sandro Schwarz called me and I decided on Hertha. And I think it was absolutely the right decision for me. I’m glad I’m here.”
… his dream of moving to North America (a year ago Chicago Fire wanted Niederlechner, ed.): “I’ll be 33 in October and I’ll have another two years of contract here from the summer. After that I’ll be almost 35. There are other things I have in mind that I might want to do. When I have a very, very good time in Berlin “, it may also be that I will extend my stay here again. After my career, I will do something 100 percent in football. I’ve been a huge sixties fan since I was little, it’s possible that I’ll come back to 1860 Munich at some point (there he played four years in youth, ed.) Chicago or the MLS in general, that will be over now.”
The trainer grabs us with his speeches and the way he coaches outside.
… coach Sandro Schwarz: “The mood for the fact that we were seventeenth for weeks is very good. I knew it differently from Augsburg or Freiburg. You saw against Gladbach how we stick together. That’s not normal when you’re down there. The coach grabs us with his speeches and the way he coaches outside. You saw how we marched against Gladbach.”
… the turbulence in the club surrounding the breakup with Fredi Bobic: “It’s not my job. I want to step on the gas on the pitch and lead the way there. I can’t influence what’s happening on the outside anyway. That’s the responsibility of those responsible. I want to stay out of it.”
