Day one in Herzlake: High temperatures and intense training

“We have several things to do,” explained the head coach. In addition to training drills, individual and group discussions are also planned.

One first-team player has not travelled to Herzlake. Nabil Bentaleb, who most recently spent time on loan at Newcastle United, is still on holiday following the end of the Premier League season which only concluded a week and a half ago. U23 squad member Mika Hanraths has travelled with the group.

Training begins in 34-degree heat

The training on the first day was intense, as was the heat. When the players arrived onto the training pitch, the temperature was still a blistering 34°C. Despite the heat, the tempo of the almost-two-hour-long training session was nevertheless at a high level. After a variety of passing and shape drills, David Wagner separated the group into two teams for an 11vs11 session which saw several goals.

A welcome change during the short break was the sprinkler system, which went down well with the players. “A lot of sweat is part and parcel of pre-season,” said Steven Skrzybski, adding that the temperature certainly didn’t make things any easier. However, Skrzybski promised this was no problem for the team, who “are here to work hard.“

Further Covid-19 test before departure

Before leaving for Herzlake, the players, coaches and club staff were all tested for a possible Covid-19 infection. Such tests will continue to take place regularly in order to ensure that maximum safety of all those in the circle of the football team. All results so far have returned negative outcomes.