Wave of illness hits Hertha BSC: Captain reports 14 failures!

Wave of illness hits Hertha BSC: Captain reports 14 failures!

A serious wave of illness has put a lot of strain on the Hertha BSC players in the last few days. Before the home game against SC Paderborn, which ended with a sobering 0-2, captain Fabian Reese reported that between 13 and 14 players were ill over a period of four to five days. The virus that struck the team was already widespread in Germany. “That’s not an excuse,” Reese clarified, “but it is undeniable that many players have been to the doctor multiple times.”

In recent days, the team's players have had to overcome additional challenges as the outbreak of the disease occurred on a scale not previously recorded in the league, even during the pandemic. According to Reese, the stress of the disease has also affected the players' performance in training. Although the team was on the pitch together during this difficult phase, the pressure was clearly noticeable.

Coach comments on the situation

Coach Stefan Leitl also did not want to use the virus wave as an excuse for the poor performance in the game against Paderborn. He emphasized that despite everything, the players tried to be fit on the pitch. “In the end we didn’t have the energy to turn the game around,” said Leitl. This statement sheds light on the difficulties the team has endured over the past week. But it's not just health problems that seem to be responsible for the unsettling performance. According to Leitl, the team was not good in various phases of the game and often lacked the final consequence. This pattern runs through the entire season.

Scientific studies show that there is a connection between virus-related respiratory diseases and intensive exercise. Endurance athletes are often more susceptible to infections compared to people who train normally. For example, a study during the 2019 World Ski Championships showed that competitors had twice the risk of becoming infected. However, despite exercise-induced immunosuppression, the viral load in competitive athletes usually remains low.

The future of Hertha BSC

Despite the setbacks caused by the wave of illness, the demands placed on the team remain high. It is still important to learn from the difficult experiences and concentrate on the challenges ahead. The players and coaches are hoping that the situation will improve soon and that they will be able to play carefree and energetic again. The situation shows once again how vulnerable competitive athletes are in such times and underlines the need for solid basic health care in order to minimize the risk of illness.

The coming weeks will be crucial for Hertha BSC. It remains to be hoped that the team can overcome the prevailing problems in order to be stable again on the pitch as quickly as possible. Because one thing is clear: the path back to our old strength will be anything but easy in these challenging times.

For more information about the health challenges in sport that need to be taken into account, it doesn't hurt to take a look at the specialist literature Sports Medicine.

The reports about the current events with the Berliners are at NeunzigPlus and Sport1 can be found.