It starts again. After the 2nd Bundesliga and the Regionalliga, League 3 is also starting the new season. At the start of the season there is a duel between red-white and red-white. The HFC receives food. After two turbulent years, the people of Halle finally want to experience a carefree season again, preferably with a win in the opening round.
Special honor for Hallesche FC: The Sreto Ristic team opens the new season in the 3rd division on Friday at 7 p.m. (in the “Sport im Osten” live ticker and in the audio stream). Opponent in the Leuna-Chemie Stadium is Rot-Weiss Essen.
For the HFC it is the twelfth season in the lowest professional league, accordingly, the Sachsen-Anhalter are the second most experienced of the three teams currently represented in the league – only SpVgg Unterhaching, who has just been promoted, has played two more games. Calculated on the uninterrupted league membership, Halle is the Dino of the league. You’ve been there since 2012.
Statistics & Ticker: Hallescher FC – Rot-Weiss Essen right arrow 3rd league: Results & Tables right arrow
Halle captain Nietfeld is looking forward to tingling before the game
The fact that you can’t buy much from this experience has been experienced by the HFC in the last two seasons, when the view had to be directed downwards until the end of the season and staying in the class was only ensured shortly before the end of the season. This should be different this year. There is talk of “calmer waters” (coach Ristic) and a “more stable season” (sports director Sobotzik).
Especially on the offensive – the weak point of the last season – they have developed further, explained captain Jonas Nietfeld in the “Sport in the East” interview. The 29-year-old is entering his fifth season with the people of Saalestadt and is already very hot: “Friendly matches are nice too, but it’s just something different to feel that tingling feeling before a competitive game.” Best followed by special emotions: “I’m in the mood to win my first home win right away.”
HFC coach Ristic: “Don’t know where we stand”
Coach Sreto Ristic is also looking forward to the first yardstick after the numerous tests. These are good for gaining knowledge as to whether certain processes work, but there is no more meaningfulness. “We’ve really worked through a lot of issues, but we still don’t really know where we stand,” said the 47-year-old football coach. It is also correspondingly difficult to assess the first opponent: “We are curious to see how the opponent runs up what they offer us.”
Sports director Thomas Sobotzik is also looking forward to the opening duel against Essen before the hut may be full: “They have an incredibly large fan base,” said the 48-year-old, who continues to certify RWE’s “size” and “tradition” – all in all a “very attractive association”. But all of this is irrelevant with the kick-off, then it’s only about the first points of the season.
Just a loss in preparation
Then you will see what the preparation is worth. Overall, this went very satisfactorily for Hallesche FC, and all construction sites were tackled. There was only one defeat in eight test games – and that against the Scottish first division club Glasgow Rangers. The new players – twelve in number – have been properly integrated, Ristic sees his team filled twice in all positions – unlike last year. At the training camp in Poland, the players “grown close together and became a conspiratorial bunch.” Accordingly, his conclusion for the preparation was: “That makes me positive.”
However, Ristic has to do without two players in the first game of the season. The HFC got through without injury until shortly before the start of the league, but now Besar Halimi and Timur Gayret have been hit. Halimi has to sit out against Essen due to muscular problems, Gayret suffered a back injury in the last friendly against Dynamo Dresden and is currently struggling to walk.
Contract extended early – now better role in the league
The fact that the HFC did not have to go into the fourth division in the previous season was ultimately due to Ristic. After he was installed in the coaching post, the team managed to get 24 points from 16 games, seven more than from the first 22 games. From the last place in the table, the jump over the line was still possible. As the icing on the cake, winning the FSA Cup also secured qualification for the DFB Cup. There it is a week after the start of the league against Greuther Fürth.
The “reward” for Ristic was given just under a week ago in the form of an early contract extension. The HFC managers are hoping for consistency on the coaching bench, which is ultimately reflected in the results.
Last season was “incredibly exhausting”, explained Sobotzik, who, like Ristic, only joined HFC in the second half of the season, most recently in an interview with “Sport im Osten”. You don’t want to experience this again. It’s about playing a better role in the league.
Hallesche FC’s opening program Date and time Competition Opponents Fri., August 4, 7 p.m. 3rd division (1st matchday) RW Essen (H) Sat., August 12, 6 p.m. DFB-Pokal (1st round) Greuther Fürth (H) Sat., August 19, 2 p.m. 3rd division (2nd matchday) FC Ingolstadt (A) Wed., 23 August, 7 p.m. 3rd division (3rd matchday) MSV Duisburg (H) Sun. , August 27, 4:30 p.m. 3rd division (4th matchday) Waldhof Mannheim (A)
rac (with dpa)