The targeted season of stability is in acute danger again at Hertha BSC early on. “The result is not okay. The table doesn't look good, ”said coach Pal Dardai after the 1: 2 home defeat against VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday. As the only Bundesliga club, the Berliners are still without points after two match days - and are now facing the difficult away hurdle at champions Bayern Munich next Saturday (6.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky). At least that worries 45-year-old Dardai very little in public: "If everyone thinks you're not getting anything, all the better."

Because despite goals conceded by Ridle Baku (73rd minute) and Lukas Nmecha (88th), the coach saw progress after the worst start to the season since the 1990/1991 season to the 1: 3 opening defeat at 1. FC Köln.

"Today you saw that the fight mode was there, nobody went for a walk," said Dardai, focusing on a professional who hadn't even been on the pitch: Matheus Cunha.

Dardai identified the 22-year-old Olympic champion from Tokyo as one of the main culprits for the defeat despite his own leadership in Cologne.

But Dodi Lukebakio's 1-0 penalty (60th) was not enough to win against Wolfsburg either.

In Cologne, the Brazilian Cunha was supposed to guard opponent Ellyes Skhiri, which he only did half an hour before he went his own way or, as Dardai put it, “walked”.

"Talks with other clubs"

A lecture at the beginning of the week was followed by the disregard for the game against Wolfsburg including object lessons from his teammates.

“Today he saw a team from above in which everyone fought,” said Dardai and announced a hard hand: “I don't accept what was last year with anyone, no matter what his name is.

Nobody walks with my team anymore.

If Matheus is ready to work systematically for the team again, then he can play again.

If not, then not. "

It remains to be seen whether the young father will appear again for the capital city club. “It is clear that there are talks with other clubs. Not just with Atletico Madrid, ”said sports director Fredi Bobic. Cunha, probably the most creative player in the Hertha squad, brought in from RB Leipzig for around 18 million euros in January 2020, should bring between 25 and 30 million and bring Berlin transfer options. "We will definitely do something," said Bobic on Sunday at Bild TV. In the offensive area and on the wing is searched. “We will also hand over someone. It has to be a train-by-train business, but time is running out, ”said Bobic without giving a name.

The waiver of creative player Cunha also had an impact against Wolfsburg. Towards the end, Dardai was only able to replace captain Dedryck Boyata and midfielder Suat Serdar with defensive Jordan Torunarigha and Deyovaisio Zeefuik. “We would have loved to make an offensive change. But Dedryck has signaled that it is no longer possible. In these minutes, the intention is not to switch defensively. It doesn't make sense, ”said Dardai. But striker Krzysztof Piatek still needs time after his broken ankle on May 12 in the game at Schalke - and Cunha was in the stands.

“Of course you are disappointed and not satisfied. We have a lot to work on, "said Bobic after the weak start to the season:" It's a start that you are dragging with you, that won't make it easy for the next few weeks. "You will now work with coach Dardai, who, according to Bobic, will follow the barely avoided relegation in the preseason is still the right man for the task, to work on "that it goes back in the right direction," said the 49-year-old.

To the annoyance about the defeat came the turbulence in front of the opening gate. Bobic criticized the penalty discussion between Lukebakio and Davie Selke. “I didn't like that, I'll be completely honest,” said the former national player on Bild-TV: “It's easier to regulate something like that, even before the game. That there was this discussion on the pitch doesn't look good on the outside. ”After an hour, Lukebakio and Selke had discussed who could take the penalty for Hertha. Captain Dedryck Boyata had to mediate.

Lukebakio, who had taken the penalty, then converted safely. Unlike Bobic, who had already scolded in the stands, coach Dardai was allegedly taken with the scene. "If two want to score the penalty, that's better than when eleven players have sports chocolate in their pants," said the Hungarian: "That means they have the balls and want to score." He had "never seen a fight".