Rostock (dpa/mv) – Second division football club FC Hansa Rostock is pulling the reins after just one win from the past eight games. The large squad will be reduced so that coach Jens Härtel can work with the training group in a concentrated manner. That’s why the club suspended three players. This affects defender Thomas Meißner, striker Ridge Munsy and offensive talent Theo Gunnar Martens. Meißner and Munsy were free to train with the second team or “to go on vacation early,” as sports director Martin Pieckenhagen put it.
“It is important for the coach in this phase until the end of the half-season to have players in the dressing room who he trusts 100 percent to help them in the important four games. He didn’t have that feeling with Munsy and Meißner,” Pieckenhagen justified the suspension on Thursday. For 19-year-old Martens, it’s a pause for thought. “There are disciplinary reasons. There have been a few incidents in the last few weeks that I didn’t like,” said the 50-year-old ex-professional. The trio is not part of the permanent staff, was only used as a substitute or not at all in the second division team (Martens).
The sports director sees the club in a difficult position. The team is 13th in the table with 14 points, three points away from a relegation zone. “If we had one more win, it would be a little more relaxed for everyone involved,” said the former Hansa goalkeeper, adding: “Football has taught us that it’s not about wishing to be fulfilled caught up with harsh reality.”
Pieckenhagen is still with coach Jens Härtel, who brought Mecklenburg back to the second division in early summer 2021. “He’s been an important factor in recent years. We’ve always found a solution in awkward situations. I expect it will be the same this time,” he said.