Just Who Is Michael Preetz?

By: Abby | June 16th, 2009

He’d always been slated to take over for Dieter Hoeness, but Michael Preetz is now manager of Hertha a year before he was supposed to start the job. So who is our new boss?

Well, a familiar face, actually. Michael Preetz is Hertha’s former captain and all-time leading scorer. He played 227 games for Hertha from 1996-2003, gaining promotion and retiring. Born in Düsseldorf, he started his career at Fortuna Düsseldorf and spent time at FC Saarbrücken, MSV Duisburg, and SG Wattenscheid 09 before settling (and more) at Hertha. Before Hertha he was known as something of an in-between sort of player: too good for the 2. Bundesliga, not quite good enough for the 1. Bundesliga. It was his time at Hertha, where he arrived at the age of 29, that he shook that reputation, scoring goal after goal and bringing Hertha their first taste of the Champions League.

Even as a player he was known as an intellectual, for a footballer, the sort that read books and not just the sports pages. He’s got a degree in sports management and was vice-president of the player’s union. When he retired from playing he transitioned quickly into management, starting as an assistant under Dieter Hoeness and eventually moving to his last position, in charge of the Hertha player licensing department. He’s also been on the bench next to Lulu for quite a while now.

Clearly, he’s had his eye on this for a long time.

So what does this mean for Hertha, now?

It’s always interesting to see teams that hold onto players past the time they’re on the pitch. It’s been a trend in the Bundesliga, particularly in the more successful teams- Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, and VfB Stuttgart all have old boys upstairs. There’s something to be said for having ex-players in charge. They would, theoretically, have an attachment to the team and want it to succeed. They’d know the culture and the history. They’d have an investment in its success that goes beyond the monetary. (Theoretically, anyway.)

The question with Preetz is, of course, experience. Hertha’s not an easy club to run and he’s never managed before. However, he has spent the past six years learning how to. A lot of ex-players don’t have that sort of apprenticeship period- Heldt, for example, went straight from the training ground to the decision-making. Preetz has been working to this point since 2003.

He’s been saying all the right things- about teamwork and about Hertha’s place. He’s marketing himself as a clear break from his predecessor. His more recent quotes are about being a team player and not single-handedly running the club, which is definitely a jab at Dieter, who often got accused of attempting to be an autocrat. He’s also talking about the holy grail of Hertha- changing the image of die Alte Dame.

He’s got his work cut out for him on several levels. Image is one thing. There’s also following up on last season, finding players, singing them, making deals in the way that always seemed to elude Dieter Hoeness. There’s dealing with the expectations. But I have hope- he has the energy, ideas, and the coach on his side (who might get yet another new contract).

Besides, I’m always an optimist.