In the second part of our big training camp interview with Nico Schäfer and Christian Hock, we speak with the pair about long-term plans, about the season motto "The W unites", why we cannot "just carry on as we are" and why you have to let your emotions out from time to time.
The objective is, of course, staying up this season. Is SVWW being an established team in the second tier the long-term goal?
NS: In principle, we were planning to get to the Bundesliga 2 by 2021/22, in a position that allows us to continue our plans in this league. Now we have, so to speak, reached the league one year early and are working – in addition to the big goals on the pitch – to get all the other aspects up to the standard this league requires. The stadium is also a key issue here – beyond the stand being built now. If we are able to push on in these areas, I believe that Wiesbaden can stay in the Bundesliga 2 long-term.
This season, the club has the motto "The W unites". What does this mean for you?
CH: I have already been working on this for a couple of years and experienced the relocation of the ground from Halberg to the BRITA Arena. "The W unites" incorporates everything that makes SVWW strong. We have two places that are part of us. And if you know a little bit about us, you will be aware of the small distance between Wehen and Wiesbaden. For us, the two Ws definitely belong together.
NS: I also asked about the two places and the distance between the two when I came here. Of course, we take the issue seriously, as it is part of the history of the club. It's our job to do everyone justice. I strongly believe that the two are not as far apart as it seems at first glance. With the double W as a symbol, we have taken the first step. And if we are able to show that we are serious about it and want to truly live by that motto in the long-term, then we will also succeed in convincing even more people to support SVWW.
Is the new stadium a symbol in this regard?
NS: By building the stadium, of course, we are fulfilling the requirements of the DFL too and also improving our own infrastructure. So here too, the club is putting down roots. This is another element that is part of the club's development.
You initially joined as a consultant, but since then you have been the board spokesman for several years. What made you so eager to stay here?
NS: To date, I have stayed at the clubs where I have worked for a relatively long time. In the beginning, you of course have to see if your own story matches that of the club. I have now been at SVWW for three years, and at the latest in winter last year I had a feeling we could really do it, and that everything happening in the city and the region was so positive that we could reach the Bundesliga 2. The advantage compared with some of the clubs with longer traditions is that you can concentrate on the task at hand here. And the relationship and the cooperation with BRITA and our president, Markus Hankammer, is another thing that makes SVWW special.
What is it important for football in general to consider with a view to the future?
NS: As a member of the DFL's Football Commission, of course, you deal with these issues all the time. A few years ago, I was convinced that we would soon reach at the end of the road in terms of marketing. Today, I see it completely differently: football brings people together like no other sport and can offer something special for everyone and everything it touches. In football itself, we have to make sure that we not only consider the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, but also the leagues below that, and especially that we do forget about the youth system and keep sight of the bigger picture.
CH: That is a very important point. We need to make sure that professional football does not move too far away from the football in the lower leagues. This has been developing for several years now, and we have experienced first-hand what that means for a club. If you have look at the development in German football, particularly in terms of the youth, several nations have overtaken us. We must not make the mistake of just carrying on as we are, but rather we are called to action to promote our work with the next generations – in the smaller clubs too, not only in the big performance centres.
After a poor start to the season, the period before the winter break was very successful. It is now a case of "just carry on as you were"?
CH: We have never "just carried on as we were". We have always tried to develop and to get better. If you start to stagnate, you get punished for it – and that is not what we want. We want to keep working hard and get the best from every individual who is here with us in order to achieve the greatest possible success for SVWW.
In the first half of the season, we saw a lot of really exciting and dramatic moments and events. How do you deal with the tension during the game?
NS: Emotions are absolutely part of football and make it what it is – even if the odd rule seems to go against that here and there. For me, it is relatively easy, as I have a lot of places to watch the game from. I normally watch the first half from up high – I'm told I cover a fair distance. Then I go down for the second half. At the end of the day, you have to let your emotions out from time to time. That's the passion that comes with the job and what makes football so fascinating.
CH: It's very important to show your emotions. At the start of the season, it took a while for both sides – the referees and us too – to get used to the new rules. I am convinced that the dialogue should always be respectful – and that is how it is now. I hope that despite all this, we can still make some improvements in terms of VAR. Our appeal after the Dresden game also showed that you don't have to accept everything, and that there is a process of reflection too and it is ultimately improved.
What will be happening in Wiesbaden on 17 May?
CH: We're hoping for the same joy and that we can have a similar party as at the end of the last season. And if we get it done a few days later, we can live with that too. Both cases would mean that we had achieved our main aim – staying up.
NS: After the potential celebrations Christian described, I am feeling positive and looking forward to getting down to the next analysis session a couple of days later – preparing for the Bundesliga 2 again!
Click here for the first part of the interview.
In the second part of our big training camp interview with Nico Schäfer and Christian Hock, we speak with the pair about long-term plans, about the season motto "The W unites", why we cannot "just carry on as we are" and why you have to let your emotions out from time to time.
The objective is, of course, staying up this season. Is SVWW being an established team in the second tier the long-term goal?
NS: In principle, we were planning to get to the Bundesliga 2 by 2021/22, in a position that allows us to continue our plans in this league. Now we have, so to speak, reached the league one year early and are working – in addition to the big goals on the pitch – to get all the other aspects up to the standard this league requires. The stadium is also a key issue here – beyond the stand being built now. If we are able to push on in these areas, I believe that Wiesbaden can stay in the Bundesliga 2 long-term.
This season, the club has the motto "The W unites". What does this mean for you?
CH: I have already been working on this for a couple of years and experienced the relocation of the ground from Halberg to the BRITA Arena. "The W unites" incorporates everything that makes SVWW strong. We have two places that are part of us. And if you know a little bit about us, you will be aware of the small distance between Wehen and Wiesbaden. For us, the two Ws definitely belong together.
NS: I also asked about the two places and the distance between the two when I came here. Of course, we take the issue seriously, as it is part of the history of the club. It's our job to do everyone justice. I strongly believe that the two are not as far apart as it seems at first glance. With the double W as a symbol, we have taken the first step. And if we are able to show that we are serious about it and want to truly live by that motto in the long-term, then we will also succeed in convincing even more people to support SVWW.
Is the new stadium a symbol in this regard?
NS: By building the stadium, of course, we are fulfilling the requirements of the DFL too and also improving our own infrastructure. So here too, the club is putting down roots. This is another element that is part of the club's development.
You initially joined as a consultant, but since then you have been the board spokesman for several years. What made you so eager to stay here?
NS: To date, I have stayed at the clubs where I have worked for a relatively long time. In the beginning, you of course have to see if your own story matches that of the club. I have now been at SVWW for three years, and at the latest in winter last year I had a feeling we could really do it, and that everything happening in the city and the region was so positive that we could reach the Bundesliga 2. The advantage compared with some of the clubs with longer traditions is that you can concentrate on the task at hand here. And the relationship and the cooperation with BRITA and our president, Markus Hankammer, is another thing that makes SVWW special.
What is it important for football in general to consider with a view to the future?
NS: As a member of the DFL's Football Commission, of course, you deal with these issues all the time. A few years ago, I was convinced that we would soon reach at the end of the road in terms of marketing. Today, I see it completely differently: football brings people together like no other sport and can offer something special for everyone and everything it touches. In football itself, we have to make sure that we not only consider the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, but also the leagues below that, and especially that we do forget about the youth system and keep sight of the bigger picture.
CH: That is a very important point. We need to make sure that professional football does not move too far away from the football in the lower leagues. This has been developing for several years now, and we have experienced first-hand what that means for a club. If you have look at the development in German football, particularly in terms of the youth, several nations have overtaken us. We must not make the mistake of just carrying on as we are, but rather we are called to action to promote our work with the next generations – in the smaller clubs too, not only in the big performance centres.
After a poor start to the season, the period before the winter break was very successful. It is now a case of "just carry on as you were"?
CH: We have never "just carried on as we were". We have always tried to develop and to get better. If you start to stagnate, you get punished for it – and that is not what we want. We want to keep working hard and get the best from every individual who is here with us in order to achieve the greatest possible success for SVWW.
In the first half of the season, we saw a lot of really exciting and dramatic moments and events. How do you deal with the tension during the game?
NS: Emotions are absolutely part of football and make it what it is – even if the odd rule seems to go against that here and there. For me, it is relatively easy, as I have a lot of places to watch the game from. I normally watch the first half from up high – I'm told I cover a fair distance. Then I go down for the second half. At the end of the day, you have to let your emotions out from time to time. That's the passion that comes with the job and what makes football so fascinating.
CH: It's very important to show your emotions. At the start of the season, it took a while for both sides – the referees and us too – to get used to the new rules. I am convinced that the dialogue should always be respectful – and that is how it is now. I hope that despite all this, we can still make some improvements in terms of VAR. Our appeal after the Dresden game also showed that you don't have to accept everything, and that there is a process of reflection too and it is ultimately improved.
What will be happening in Wiesbaden on 17 May?
CH: We're hoping for the same joy and that we can have a similar party as at the end of the last season. And if we get it done a few days later, we can live with that too. Both cases would mean that we had achieved our main aim – staying up.
NS: After the potential celebrations Christian described, I am feeling positive and looking forward to getting down to the next analysis session a couple of days later – preparing for the Bundesliga 2 again!
Click here for the first part of the interview.
