Mr. Heine, you have been with VSG Altglienicke since summer 2019. Only one coach in the Northeast Regional Football League has been in office longer. Do you know who that is? Pooh. Ingo Kahlisch? No, he’s no longer there with Rathenow.
Otherwise it would have been very easy. It’s Miroslav Jagatic from Chemie Leipzig. Is correct! I read that recently.
But you are the most experienced coach in the top four German leagues. That’s a nice paraphrase, I’m also the oldest (laughs).
Your first station dates back to 1987. What memories do you have of it? That was at WBK Berlin.
The official name was BSG Wohnungsbaukombinat Berlin. You were player-coach. Today the club is called Blau-Weiß Petershagen/Eggersdorf. We did something incredible back then. We caught up 12 or even 15 points in the second half of the season and got promoted to the district class. I also remember it so well because I came from competitive sports at Union to leisure sports. Players often canceled training because they looked after their children. I didn’t know that. And the team almost completely financed the training camp themselves. It was a short great time.
After that you became a coach at Union. Later you were with Hertha BSC for a very long time. Are some things still the same as when you were very young as a coach?Of course everything has become faster and more dynamic, but you still have to break free and score goals. I was now at the International Trainers’ Congress, Paul Breitner was connected via video. He pointed out that the word pressing was around decades ago. I already knew that in GDR times.
You are now 67. What still drives you after decades as a coach?Football has been my life since I was a child. I’m still really up for football and I can’t imagine that changing at the moment. All of this is only possible if the family is involved. I’m not one to take care of the roses at home. I still enjoy working with young people. I have a ten-year-old son at home, so I’ll stay up to date on youth issues (laughs). And I’m at the training ground in 15 minutes, I never had that apart from the time at Union.
Is a possible promotion to the third division also a motivation for you? I would be very happy about that. I got to know the league with Chemnitzer FC for two and a half years. That would be another nice job.
At Altglienicke, however, the infrastructure is already a problem in the regional league. I know the discussions. If things are moving forward in sport and a club is aiming for certain goals, the surrounding conditions must be created. However, one must not forget how quickly Altglienicke took the sporting path. Regionalliga cannot be played in our stadium. This is our handicap. But we have the promise that the site in Baumschulenweg will be expanded to make it suitable for the regional league.
How do you rate the Regionalliga Nordost this season? Erfurt and Greifswald are not normal climbers. Erfurt plays great football and has risen in an impressive way. A lot is happening in Greifswald. That will enrich the league. It’s even stronger overall and for me it’s still the most interesting of all the regional leagues. All the viewer potential here: Cottbus, Chemnitz, Erfurt, Jena, the Leipzig clubs or the BFC Dynamo.
At the end of this season, too, the champions have to play decider games for promotion. That is to be accepted, but remains totally unsatisfactory. I don’t think it’s fair that the West and Southwest regional leagues have a direct promoter every year and it makes it even more annoying.
Your team is once again given a lot of credit. We’ve been at the forefront for the last three years. On the other hand, with the three A-youngsters we have a total of 16 new players. They have to be integrated.
Was the upheaval planned in this form? We wanted fresh blood in the team, a lot was planned. On the other hand, it’s great when the Manske brothers can move to the third division…
… both went to SV Meppen … or Christian Derflinger to a traditional club like Kickers Offenbach. So I say: You’re welcome, you’re welcome.
Among others, Tolcay Cigerci came. He was at Altglienicke before and was very convincing in the last half of the first half of the season at FC Viktoria 89 in the third division. At Viktoria he impressively underlined how he can kick. After that he spent half a year in Turkey, which didn’t go according to his wishes. We want to get him fit for the games quickly. Overall, we take our time and don’t trumpet big goals. What we definitely want: offer good football again. We have a very attractive starting program.
Only this Friday at home against Energie Cottbus, then away at Chemie Leipzig and SV Babelsberg 03. Attractive and difficult? It wouldn’t be easier if we started in Meuselwitz, for example. I think it’s good that we meet Cottbus first, who are my top favourites. In general, we’re happy when teams bring a lot of fans with them or when we can play in great stadiums.
The audience at Altglienicke’s home games is rather low. We are very grateful that we can play in the Olympic Park. But we will hardly attract spectators from our area there.
Let’s take a look at the Bundesliga. Your former clubs Union and Hertha meet on Saturday. What are your expectations of the game? What is achieved in Koepenick cannot be overestimated. In my entire environment I only have Union fans and I wish the club that it plays such a good role again. Hertha must finally come to rest and show stable performances.
your tip? I think Union wins.