Manic Loop
Jan 15 2003, 05:07 PM
Hertha Berlin have ordered their multi-national team to speak German even though 16 of their most important players are foreigners.
Hertha coach Huub Stevens believes it is essential for all of the club's players to be able to converse in the same language.
The club have 16 players from outside Germany and several speak only little of the national tongue.
Stevens, himself from the Netherlands, said it was 'German only' on and off the field from now on and he was tired of interpreters relaying orders to Brazilian stars Marcelinho, Luizao and Alex Alves as well as other foreigners from Poland, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, and Hungary.
"From now on German is the official language," Stevens said.
"All my players are going to have to communicate with each other in German. I don't want a group to talk to each other in Portuguese any more and another group using Dutch."
The Dutch coach is not exactly fluent in German himself, speaking broken German with a heavy Dutch accent.
The club's foreign contingent also includes Hungary goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly, Belgian striker Bart Goor, Poland midfielder Bartosz Karwan, Croatia defender Josip Simunic, and Dick van Burik of the Netherlands.
While some of the foreigners, such as Iceland's Eyjolfur Sverrison, are fluent in German, others, such as Luizao, have struggled to come to terms with the language in their adopted country.
Cynical fans may cite this as clutching at straws with the side struggling for form. They are currently in ninth place in the Bundesliga, 16 points behind leaders Bayern Munich. The league resumes on 25 January when Hertha host champions Borussia Dortmund.
Hertha coach Huub Stevens believes it is essential for all of the club's players to be able to converse in the same language.
The club have 16 players from outside Germany and several speak only little of the national tongue.
Stevens, himself from the Netherlands, said it was 'German only' on and off the field from now on and he was tired of interpreters relaying orders to Brazilian stars Marcelinho, Luizao and Alex Alves as well as other foreigners from Poland, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, and Hungary.
"From now on German is the official language," Stevens said.
"All my players are going to have to communicate with each other in German. I don't want a group to talk to each other in Portuguese any more and another group using Dutch."
The Dutch coach is not exactly fluent in German himself, speaking broken German with a heavy Dutch accent.
The club's foreign contingent also includes Hungary goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly, Belgian striker Bart Goor, Poland midfielder Bartosz Karwan, Croatia defender Josip Simunic, and Dick van Burik of the Netherlands.
While some of the foreigners, such as Iceland's Eyjolfur Sverrison, are fluent in German, others, such as Luizao, have struggled to come to terms with the language in their adopted country.
Cynical fans may cite this as clutching at straws with the side struggling for form. They are currently in ninth place in the Bundesliga, 16 points behind leaders Bayern Munich. The league resumes on 25 January when Hertha host champions Borussia Dortmund.