Bundesliga: formative Russia experience unites Farke and Schwarz

Bundesliga
Formative Russia experience unites color and black

Daniel Farke and Sandro Schwarz have not yet known each other personally. The challenges for both football coaches have been quite similar for a good six months.

In contrast to the exceptional situation that the current coaches of Borussia Mönchengladbach and Hertha BSC faced in the spring, the current tasks seem almost harmless: trimming the crisis clubs of the past Bundesliga season back to success. In March, as coaches in Russia, the two dealt differently with Russia’s military attack on Ukraine.

Farke: “Surreal Situation”

“It was a thoroughly surreal situation,” Farke said in retrospect before the first meeting with the current Berlin coach Schwarz on Friday (8:30 p.m. / DAZN). The 45-year-old Farke only started a new job in southern Russia at FK Krasnodar in January. After the start of the war, Farke left Russia immediately, without even looking after his new team at a competitive game. “Everyone has to put their motives first. That was the right decision for me,” said Farke.

It was even more complicated for Schwarz, who had been with Dynamo Moscow since 2020. “A very close bond has developed over the months, to the team, to the staff, to those responsible for the club,” said Schwarz in an interview with the German Press Agency a few weeks ago. In addition, the club immediately distanced itself from this war of aggression. “That was a very important signal for us, because it would have been unimaginable for me to stay there if those responsible for the club had had even a slightly different attitude to it,” confirmed Schwarz, who stayed and described the time as “very burdensome”.

A responsibility for the players he loved and the people around him initially kept him in Moscow. “If you sit with a Ukrainian player and a Russian player and cry together, then things are different,” said the 43-year-old. “Of course you can feel the inner turmoil because I knew exactly what the expectations from home were,” said Schwarz, who only left the country after the 2-1 draw in the cup final against Spartak Moscow in May.

There was no contact between the two German coaches in the spring. “I don’t know Farke personally,” said Schwarz. That won’t change until Friday. Then you can see who has made progress in their new role. As different as the two coaches decided in Russia, so is their approach to their teams’ playing styles. After the failed experiments in Mönchengladbach with Farke’s predecessors Marco Rose and Adi Hütter, it’s now back to the possession football of the past.

So far with success. The start of the season was successful, and there hasn’t been a defeat in preparation so far. “I’m extremely happy with the lads the way they’re interpreting it at the moment,” said Farke. “It feels like I’ve been here forever.”

Difficult start for the Hertha coach

Schwarz has not yet been able to claim that in Berlin. Even if the Mainzer’s calm, matter-of-fact manner is well received, the loss of the cup at Eintracht Braunschweig, bottom of the second division, and the loss of the Berlin derby against Union on the first day of the game bothered us. Black repeatedly emphasizes the “long process” that lies ahead of them. Unlike in Gladbach, more aggressive pressing and quick switching is required for the almost relegated team from the previous season. “Sandro Schwarz is a very, very good coach. I’m convinced that this team will still score a lot of points with this composition,” said Farke respectfully before the first meeting.

The expected lineups:

Borussia Mönchengladbach: Summer – Scally, Itakura, Friedrich, Bensebaini – Kramer, Koné – Hofmann, Neuhaus, Plea – Thuram

Hertha BSC: Christensen – Kenny, Uremovic, Kempf, Mittelstadt – Sunjic – Tousart, Serdar – Lukebakio, Kanga, Ejuke

dpa