Michael Wagner, sports director of the national league team TuS Holzkirchen, speaks about the effects of the corona virus.
Holzkirchen - At professional level, many football clubs cannot yet estimate how much the corona crisis will affect their existence - or not. What is certain is that the clubs in the Bundesliga lack large amounts of revenue. But what about a few leagues below? In an interview, Michael Wagner, new sports director at TuS Holzkirchen, tells how his staff and the team deal with the current situation and what is possible to save the season.
Mr. Wagner, you certainly have a lot of discussions at the moment. Is everyone in the club doing well so far?
Yes, thank you. So far everyone is doing well and so far I have heard nothing of a positive case.
What have you given players for the coming weeks?
First and foremost, we gave the boys a training plan. You should do a variety of exercises, for example, endurance and strength. We have no choice but to stay on the ball in order to be ready for the desirable but unlikely event that everything will go back soon. Furthermore, everyone should adhere to the guidelines that we get from newspapers, the Internet and television.
The first Bundesliga professionals donate part of their salary. What about your team in this regard?
We are also not only in discussions with the players on this topic, whereby one or the other solidarity towards the club has already indicated. You also have to know: For example, it can only be about paying the travel costs - i.e. an allowance for expenses - and if you don't have to drive anyway, you do without this money.
Is there a financial bottleneck for the TuS or do you not consider it as serious in comparison?
Well, the damage that will be done will in no way be harmless. The income that we generate from the kiosk and audience entry must never be neglected. In addition, many of our sponsors will experience hard times - we are already in contact with some partners. I very much hope that no sponsor has to jump out, but it cannot be ruled out at the moment.
It cannot be ruled out that the current season has ended. How do you deal with the various options and which do you currently consider to be the best?
It is impossible to say whether we can continue the season. But my experience shows: Maybe we can hang up the games at the back and just play longer and then start the new season later - in December the weather was always suitable for football. It may then also be necessary to discuss an at least shortened version of the relegation. But that's all pure speculation, because not much is imaginable at the moment.
Even if it is anything but important at the moment: After all, if the worst comes to the worst, you would be in a secure table position.
That's right. We are the bottom line, which was also our goal. On the other hand, it would also be quite unfair to the other teams who wanted to attack again, even in the upper table region. There is simply no perfect solution.
What things can you now try to plan for the future?
Basically, as a sporting director, I have to be prepared for all cases and have various plans. I can't afford not to think about the new season yet. We have a lot of discussions in which it emerges which players are willing to give everything for the club in the long run and how it goes on.
When it comes to signing new deals, it will probably be one step more difficult.
What is inevitable is that you talk to players and mediate them and send the signal that you want them. Our first priority is our own players, on whom we want to build. In any case, I also feel a certain level of uncertainty among all players in the course of this entire crisis.
Finally, are there any impressions or lessons that the association can draw from such an incomparable situation?
What we can learn from this as an association will all turn out to be. But we can say that the whole process - be it space closures or other organizations - was communicated very, very well with us and everything went very smoothly. Now every person has to stick to the rules and hopefully in the end we will all get through this time well and healthy.