MANNHEIM – Bernhard Trares is no different. The coach of the third division soccer team SV Waldhof Mannheim is condemned to inactivity like so many. Trares is not even allowed to give his players training plans for forest runs or strength exercises at home due to the coronavirus ’because the team and coaching staff are on short-time work. However, the 54-year-old is not afraid for his own future – even though his contract expires on June 30.
His unresolved situation is currently irrelevant to him in the wake of the Corona crisis. “I’m not worried about my future at the moment. There are people in our country who have completely different problems, ”said Trares of the German Press Agency. “As footballers, we are used to the fact that there is sometimes an uncertainty because other people are affected in a completely different way now.”
The former Bundesliga professional, who formed the third division newcomer as a promotion candidate, feels no fear of existence. However, he is worried about his players, who are younger and many of whom do not know how things will go in summer: “The boys have completely different fears about the future.” In addition to the coach’s contract, 16 player contracts expire on June 30. Negotiations are currently pending, as sports director Jochen Kientz reported. “It will affect the mood,” Trares suspects.
The coach hopes that the players will take responsibility for staying fit for a possible continuation of the season. Because the team receives a 100 percent short-time allowance, the club must not demand any work and, accordingly, must not distribute training plans. With the exception of private phone calls, in which Trares searches for his proteges, there is currently no exchange. Trees use all the free time to do sports himself and to do work that had previously been left behind. “I did a few things around the house,” said the Waldhof trainer. He also adheres to the rules to help contain the corona pandemic.
Trares is also preparing for the eventual restart of the third division. He watches a lot of videos, primarily the games of his own team so that he can later work on the weaknesses. So far, Trares has given no thought to the timing of the continuation of the season. The 54-year-old is also not concerned with whether the Mannheimer gets the chance to make it through to the second division. As promoted, the Waldhofer are second in the table after 27 game days. “Nobody in the world knows when and how to go on,” said Trares.
