Fabian Reese return to Hertha BSC with VfL Wolfsburg, Digi Mart USA News (Berlin): Hertha BSC coach Stefan Leitl was asked about Fabian Reese at Thursday’s press conference ahead of the match against VfL Wolfsburg, which marks the former Hertha captain’s first return to the Olympiastadion since his much-discussed summer move.
Leitl answered every question patiently and repeatedly stressed that the topic does not matter. “I want to look at it without emotion and very soberly,” he said.
“It is the game Hertha against Wolfsburg.”
Reese’s departure was far from quiet. He left just under a year after extending his contract, in which he had professed his attachment to the club and the city.
His move to Wolfsburg, the works club of the Volkswagen group, was widely criticized by many fans, who see it as a symbol of financial inequality in football. Hertha’s urgent need for the transfer fee was largely treated as a side note.
Since joining Wolfsburg, Reese has been booed at almost every second-division stadium this season, including during the cup match in Freiburg about a week ago. A similar reception is expected on Saturday at the Olympiastadion.
“The decibel level will be somewhat higher,” Reese told ARD last weekend, adding that he is looking forward to seeing many former teammates, friends, acquaintances and staff.
The match also brings other reunions. Bence Dardai and Muhammed Damar of Wolfsburg face their youth club, and Paul Seguin faces his former club for Hertha.
Josip Brekalo, currently outstanding for Berlin, also once played for VfL.
On the pitch, the fixture offers plenty. Wolfsburg’s squad features top players with considerable Bundesliga experience and is of a quality unmatched by a typical second-division side.
Hertha, without major transfers, have been potent up front and defensively stable. Last matchday against Kaiserslautern, Berlin won 3-0, starting well despite early pressure, taking the lead themselves and taking control of the game.
Wolfsburg, considered perhaps the clearest promotion favorite in recent memory, have 25 goals, the best in the league. Reese leads the division with five goals and seven assists.
Defensively, however, they have looked vulnerable, conceding four goals in both the 4-4 draws against Cottbus and Nürnberg. Their wins over Karlsruhe and Darmstadt saw them score five times.
Leitl attributes Hertha’s run of form to team cohesion, saying the players get along extremely well and spend time together outside training. “Maybe that is a main reason why we are where we are,” he said.
Reese, the focus of many questions on Thursday, emphasized the sporting side: “It is wonderful that both teams are at the top and rightly have the top match on Saturday evening. I am really looking forward to it.” He added that not every fan will whistle.
The match is expected to be a demanding test for Hertha in a clash of the division’s leading sides.
