SVWW narrow defeat to Champions in season finale
Pros |
Alongside head coach Rüdiger Rehm, Nico Schäfer and Christian Hock – the managing director for sports, marketing and communications and the sporting director of SV Wehen Wiesbaden – are the faces of the club's recent success story.
At the training camp in the Oliva Nova, Spain, the two took some time out for an in-depth interview with svww.de. The two SVWW decision-makers provide an insight into the work that goes on behind the scenes, look back on some special moments and tell you why a change in manager was never on the cards and how the Red and Blacks are looking to stay in the league.
Part 1
How are you feeling after the first few days of the training camp?
CH: We have had a lot of meetings in the past few days, a lot of one-to-one interviews with the players, and that will continue over the next few days. At the moment, the weather is giving us a bit of a hard time, but we are doing well.
NS: Sunday was the first time the weather caused any issues… so far we have had very good training sessions, and the training camp of course also gives us the opportunity to be close to the team, which is good for team-building. We also had a board workshop here with the steering committee, the supervisory board and the executive board to set the course for the club.
For you, as the people responsible, a training camp means a lot of preparation on and off the pitch for the time spent here. Now that we are in the final third of the time here in Oliva Nova, what has been done, and what is still to come?
CH: So far, we have been able to get everything done as intended. At the end of the training camp, with the one-to-ones with all the players, we have created a situation in which everyone knows where they stand – both in sporting terms, thanks to the team of coaches, and in terms of any other plans, thanks to us.
NS: The interviews are held in both the summer and winter training camps and are very important for us. What we found was that many of our new arrivals were not familiar with this procedure, but give us very positive feedback about the method. And the players who already know about it take advantage of the one-to-ones for an intense dialogue with us. It also underlines the family atmosphere here at SVWW.
As you yourself were a professional for several years, what would you think of today's generation of professionals?
CH: It is an entirely different generation than in my time as a player. The pace of social development off the pitch has also not let up. Nevertheless, all players know what they can do and work really hard for it – this has not changed from the past. The interests outside the sport are, of course, different for the current generation than they were with us in those days.
How important is it to engage with each player and to see and understand the person as well as the professional?
CH: That is our main aim with the one-to-ones. Everyone is different and different things make them tick. Age plays a role here, as do various other factors. In the talks, the players, like us, also take the opportunity to have an exchange with us about things off the pitch. It is an opportunity that the lads have both here and back home, where our door is always open. That is extremely important to us.
NS: Here at the training camp, far away from home and other influences, there is a special atmosphere for discussions. And as the talks are not intended to take too long, it is important for us to be very well prepared. For example, areas such as social media or eSports play an important role for the players nowadays – and are also a link to the club.
How would you characterise your cooperation?
NS: Our president, Markus Hankammer, once said: "No matter, with whom I am talking – a managing director, sporting director or coach – I always get the same answer." We have a very, very good dialogue. We think very similarly, and are certainly willing to discuss controversial matters internally, if need be. But at the end of the day, we always find a common denominator, from which none of us deviate. That is one of the great strengths of this club. It contributes to the fact that we, as a small club, play our role as the underdog to move in the right direction. The human aspect is the primary focus, and this can only be done through communication. We also try to get this across to our players.
Today, at the training camp and in the middle of your day-to-day business, what do you think when you look back over the past 18 months?
CH: If you look back, in the summer of 2018, with the composition of the squad, the primary focus was on having a good season in the third tier. There were ups and downs, but we never lost our nerve in this period and always communicated very closely, tweaking the squad a little here and there. The fact that we were rewarded with promotion at the end of the season and could start planning for the second division was, of course, outstanding. Again, the first half of this season has had highs and lows, but towards the end of the year, we generally played well, and we want to continue to build on this in the second half of the season and to round off two great years by staying up.
Apart from the absolute highlight with the promotion in Ingolstadt, what situation, what moment has stayed with you since May?
NS: Niki Dams' celebration after they hit the post and bar and he blocked a shot in the away victory at Stuttgart, who were top of the table at the time. That scene, which was so emotional, and the victory there in front of a crowd of almost 50,000, were crucial for me to say: yes, we can do it!
CH: For me, the first home victory against Osnabrück was a very emotional moment. That game showed that the team can win even against a team that had a lot of points at the time and were doing well. For me, that was a signal that we had arrived in this second tier and it was not going to be all draws and defeats for us in the league.
You stayed loyal to the coach during the crisis on the pitch. How hard was that for you?
CH: It wasn’t hard at all, as we are absolutely convinced by Rüdiger's and our work together. We knew that he could do it in the second division and he has proved exactly that. He identified what was going wrong and was open to changes. And he has been brought stability to the team by changing the system. That is one of his greatest strengths.
NS: That quality – being able to identify something and to change it until it fits – is something that makes Rüdiger stand out. Following this extremely poor start in the Bundesliga 2, we held discussions together about what we could do, and remained calm above all. Our coach had done an excellent job for two and a half years, so it was clear that we would survive this crisis together. In the end, that is the only way to get consistency at the club, which, ultimately, is crucial for success.
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 it is important to not "just carry on as we are" and and why you have to let your emotions out from time to time.
Click here for the second part of the interview.