Before the end: Sandro Schwarz
Which: REUTERS
The debacle at the bottom of the table Schalke 04 was one too many. The day after the crushing defeat, Hertha BSC is about to separate from coach Sandro Schwarz. The scenes from Saturday morning cannot be interpreted otherwise.
Sandro Schwarz shouldn’t be the coach of Hertha BSC for much longer. On Friday, the Berliners had lost the relegation duel at Schalke 04 2:5 and presented themselves tactically and combatively completely desolate over long stretches.
The next day there were talks at the training ground. While the crew was embarking, Schwarz left the site and drove away. When the players returned at 11:50 before their round, their trainer was already gone. An otherwise usual media round with the coach was not scheduled this time.
Schwarz took over the team in the summer after relegation could only be averted in the relegation. There was no improvement: Hertha is bottom of the Bundesliga six games before the end of the season.
Friday marked the low point of an already frustrating season: At Schalke, the Berliners gave the impression of a team that had already given up in parts – the players’ body language was so disastrous and their defensive behavior so devastating.
“A slap in the face”
It was difficult to analyze what was happening. Because although it was the sixth game without a win in a row, those responsible at Hertha had not expected such a turbulent performance.
“We are brutally disappointed and frustrated. We knew what to expect here when eighteenth meets seventeenth. And then we showed individual duel behavior that just doesn’t work. So it will be difficult to stay in the Bundesliga. That was a slap in the face,” said sports director Benjamin Weber.
Weber already indicated that there should be consequences: “We can’t have a personal discussion here right now after a 2: 5, but it’s clear that we will analyze the situation completely,” said the 42-year-old only came into office at the end of January after manager Fredi Bobic was kicked out.
And Schwarz also knew very well what was in store for him: “I’m not going to tell you now that I feel let down. As a head coach, you have to be realistic. We are in 18th place.”
