Torsten Lieberknecht has been a professional football coach with a lot of passion since 2008.

But now the 48-year-old is making a new experience that he would have liked to save himself as the new coach of SV Darmstadt 98.

“In this dimension” he “definitely faces the greatest challenge so far” of his career, said the soccer teacher before the first round cup game this Friday (8.45 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the DFB Cup) near 1860 Munich.

Lieberknecht, who had looked after MSV Duisburg and Eintracht Braunschweig for a long time before the “Lilien”, had to manage the shortage early in the season: seven professionals had thoroughly tried their hand at the start of the second division, with two defeats against Regensburg and Karlsruhe went wrong, infected with the coronavirus. In addition, players like Marvin Mehlem and Aaron Seydel have to pass due to injuries. In view of the many blows in the neck, Lieberknecht could fall into self-pity in this emergency situation, but does not. “We don't want to complain. My father always said: Cheer up - no matter how dirty your neck is. ”The coach at Böllenfalltor is the pioneer.

The personnel situation at SVD is still tense. The professionals Tobias Kempe, Erich Berko, Mathias Honsak and Tim Skarke are still in domestic isolation. Goalkeepers Marcel Schschuhe, Ensar Arslan, Luca Pfeiffer and Nemanja Celic are not allowed to have any direct contact with the team outside of the competitive games and must travel separately from them. Lieberknecht calls them “work quarantine boys”. Frank Ronstadt, Braydon Manu and Patric Pfeiffer returned from quarantine on Thursday. But whether one of them is in the squad in Munich is the other question.

Lieberknecht wants to deal responsibly with the sensitive situation. After their two-week compulsory break, the affected players would have to decide for themselves in consultation with the medical department whether they dare to play, he announced. The trainer does not want to "burn them up". Either way: Improvising will continue to be part of Lieberknecht's tools. Unfortunately, he can hardly plan reliably these weeks.

No wonder that Darmstadt wants to strengthen itself. Dennis Dressel, midfielder at the cup opponent 1860 Munich, would have been playing for the "Lilien" long ago if both clubs agreed on the transfer fee for him. The rumored 500,000 euros are too much for southern Hesse. Klaus Gjasula from Hamburger SV, who no longer has any sporting prospects there, has also moved into the sights of the SVD. The midfielder is an actor “who embodies a type that can be very interesting for some clubs. In our time and in the situation, guys are in demand, "said Lieberknecht and added:" We want to find these guys with us first. "

The Darmstadt team have not yet scored a goal in the second division this round, instead conceding a total of five goals. In the cup, a sense of achievement would have the character of a premiere. 1860 is not "the typical first-round opponent. But we can gain confidence for the second division, ”said Darmstadt defender Lasse Sobiech. That would also make Lieberknecht's work a little easier.