Vacation! (OK, Maybe Some Training Too)
By: Abby | January 6th, 2008
Another chilly, wet day here in Seattle. I got myself soaked and cold while heading out to lunch. Makes me very envious of the Hertha boys, who are gearing up to leave tomorrow for their training camp in Tenerife.
In sunny (and warm!) Spain they’ll be staying at a 5-star hotel with “one of the best spa complexes worldwide”, according to the Hertha website. It sounds lovely and much more pleasant this time of year than Berlin, which my sources inform me is freezing. So they’re taking advantage of the extra-long Bundesliga winter break (until February? Really?) to get the hell away from the cold. 
They won’t just be relaxing. There’s a mini-tournament being staged as well, with friendly games against fellow Bundesligers Hannover 96, Swiss team Grasshopers Zürich, and SK Rapid Vienna of the Austrian Bundesliga (and current home of Hertha target Veli Kavlak). And the stay doesn’t last very long- they’ll be back in the cold by the 14th to continue with preparations for the second half of the season, which begins with the visit of Eintracht Frankfurt.
And other news? Well, there isn’t much, really. The Raffael saga continues on, with Hertha refusing to pay more than 4.5 million for the striker, while FC Zürich wants more. Hoeness has also talked about adding more in midfield and defense before the transfer window closes.
Also, another young American, Ellis McLoughlin, has joined Hertha for training. While I don’t really believe that Hertha will sign Arguez or McLoughlin, it does point to the direction they’re going in scouting- youth internationals. I think it’s a good idea. Americans have a tradition of doing well in the Bundesliga, and signing an American 18-year-old is probably cheaper than one from most other places.
And what has Lulu been saying? Well, The Observer reports this press conference:
Press conference of the week: Hertha Berlin coach Lucien Favre, two days after being criticised by his club’s PR office for being too open with the media: Q: ‘Is there any news on signings?’ Favre: ‘I don’t know.’ Q: ‘What do you make of recent criticism?’ F: ‘I don’t know.’ Q: ‘Hertha are getting €25m in broadcast money. Is that good?’ F: ‘Who knows?’ Q: ‘When is Lucio back from injury?’ F: ‘I don’t know.’ Q: ‘How important is your training camp? F: ‘I don’t know. Ask the press office. That’s it? Bye then.’
What can you say to that?
Category: Team News
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Comments
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Hum…..interesting……I guess you’re from Germany
Posted from
United States
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Not at all, Parker.
I spent a summer in Berlin, but I’m an American with a somewhat basic grasp of the language. I’m trying to keep up the best I can. It inspires me to keep at my German reading comprehension, at least…Posted from
United States -
Favre’s short answers in the press conference has been a big mistake. The press with the big letters took this for attacking him again. That was not pretty intelligent, I think…
Posted from
Germany -
Sounds like Lulu is pulling a Rafa. And a load of Germans, Austrians, and Swiss by the pool… think we’ll see the reflection from space?
Posted from
United States -
Yeah, Easyfunk. It does make me a bit nervous, as I like Favre and I hope nothing bad comes of this.
Posted from
United States
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