Ibrahim Maza was leaning against a pillar in the cabin aisle. He’d been doing this for a few minutes for no apparent reason, occasionally exchanging a word with the binder at his side and otherwise just silently observing what was going on around him. When Tjark Ernst, the young goalkeeper from Hertha BSC, went to the waiting journalists in the mixed zone, Maza also watched with interest. He had to laugh.
It’s hard to say whether he should make fun of Ernst a bit, who doesn’t experience situations like this every day either. It was more likely that Ibrahim Maza, 17, was just in a good mood. May 27, 2023 will probably be treasured forever in his memories.
It was the day that the young attacking player went down in the history of Hertha BSC. Ten minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute, he completed a counterattack to make it 1-1 against VfL Wolfsburg. In his second appearance for Hertha’s pros, he scored the first goal. No goalscorer in the club’s Bundesliga history, which has now been interrupted, was younger than Ibrahim Maza.
The attacking player is gifted with a talent “like none of the Hertha BSC juniors,” said Pal Dardai, Maza’s professional coach, after his team’s 2-1 win in Wolfsburg. He has known Maza for a small eternity, if you can even say that for a 17-year-old. The Hungarian coached him in the U16s, but back then it took a few tough words to put the talent on the right track.
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Players from their own offspring were used in Wolfsburg
Dardai said in Wolfsburg that he had asked the whole family to talk. “You, Ibo,” he said on this occasion, “if you keep being so lazy, you won’t get anywhere. You have a speed dribbling, indescribable. You are blessed by God with a tremendous talent. Please keep at it!” Maza seems to have taken the words of his youth coach, who in all likelihood will remain his professional coach, to heart.
In the next few days, the decision should be made as to whether Pal Dardai Hertha will also train in the second division. There are actually no serious doubts, even if other names are brought into play from time to time – apparently from outside.
The encounter in Wolfsburg, in which the Berliners fell behind early on, in which they rearranged themselves again after the break and a lecture by Dardais and made the 0:1 a 2:1 win at the end, this encounter worked again like a plea for Dardai’s continued employment.
Six players from their own youth were used in Wolfsburg, five were on the field in the final stages when it was a matter of defending the lead with all their might. Central defender Pascal Klemens, 18, and substitute striker Tony Rölke, 20, made their Bundesliga debut, as did goalkeeper Tjark Ernst, who came to Berlin from VfL Bochum before the season at the age of 19.
“The young players at Hertha BSC are good. You have to give them a chance and also have a bit of patience,” said Dardai, who had let the future play out at the end of the season when Hertha was no longer sportingly important. “I think the decision wasn’t bad.”
Tjark really made a world class game.
striker Florian Niederlechner about Hertha’s goalkeeper Tjark Ernst
In the new season, then in the second division, there is presumably no alternative to this decision. In the absence of other financial options, the club will be forced to rely on talent from their own youth. The game in Wolfsburg showed that this path could be feasible.
In the second half, when more and more talent was substituted on, “we saw a really good Hertha,” said Dardai. “The atmosphere in the team worked. If we had shown that face earlier, we wouldn’t be sitting here so sad. But we’re not entirely sad because you’re taking this game with you for next season.”
Maza scored the equaliser, Klemens became more confident in the back four by the minute – and Ernst kept goal as much as possible. The young goalkeeper was powerless in the early 0-1 in the second minute, but the 20-year-old then made several saves for his team. “Of course it’s fantastic that it went like this for me,” said Ernst. “It’s a great feeling and makes me really proud.”
A minute before the end of regular time, Ernst prevented the late equalizer with a foot defense that would have brought Wolfsburg into the European Cup. “Tjark really made a world-class game,” said Hertha striker Florian Niederlechner. “I think you can even mention the word, even if it’s a big word.”
Niederlechner only came to Berlin in the winter – and has no intention of leaving immediately after relegation. Weeks ago, he agreed with the club to stay. “We screwed up, and I’m the one trying to iron out the mistake we made,” he said. “The club simply belongs high, and we will do everything for it.”
Niederlechner stays with Hertha
At 32, Niederlechner is one of the older and more experienced players who will have to form the backbone of an otherwise much younger team. Only with talent “you have no chance in the second division,” he said. “It’s going to be a difficult year. But it’s definitely positive that we have good guys who come up from below.”
Nobody knows in detail what the squad will look like at the moment. Maybe Hertha has to give up players for financial reasons that you actually want to keep. Even in the goalkeeping position, only one thing is clear: that nothing is clear.
Should Hertha receive a lucrative offer for the previous number one Oliver Christensen, the club could not turn it down. After all, the game in Wolfsburg showed that Tjark Ernst could definitely be considered as Christensen’s successor in such a case. “He already shows his class in training,” said coach Dardai. “And today under pressure he played really well, that’s nice.”
Ernst isn’t 17 anymore. At his age, outstanding goalkeeping talents such as Manuel Neuer, Marc-André ter Stegen and Bernd Leno were already regular players in the Bundesliga. Nevertheless, Hertha is thinking about signing Marius Gersbeck.
The goalkeeper of Karlsruher SC also comes from Hertha’s youth, but is already 31. Since he is considered one of the best goalkeepers in the second division, Gersbeck is unlikely to be tempted by the prospect of playing Ernst’s back-up on the bench sit.
Pal Dardai has recently complained that Hertha has lost far too many talents in recent years. This is also due to the fact that the club did not plan strategically enough with them. This could also be the case with Tjark Ernst if Hertha actually brings Gersbeck back.
Staying at Hertha and becoming number one, “that’s obviously the big goal. It’s a lot more fun to play than to sit on the bench,” said Ernst after his professional debut. “It felt very good today and I can very well accept that it will be like this next season.”
Source: Tagesspiegel
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
