FC St. Pauli have not managed the start to their 2. Bundesliga campaign they were looking for, but in the DFB Cup they are still capable of landing a surprise. The northern German side faces top-tier team Hertha BSC on Tuesday in the second round of the national Cup competition. Ewald Lienen is currently in charge on the sidelines at St. Pauli. The 62-year-old assumed office when the Hamburg-based club were in last place in the second division, but successfully avoided relegation. Last season he led St. Pauli to a fourth place finished, narrowly missing out on the promotion play-off.
In this exclusive interview with DFB.de co-worker Oliver Jensen, Lienen talks about the upcoming Cup encounter, the difficulties second division teams face after having just missed out on relegation and the special culture of his club.
DFB.de: Mr. Lienen, what is your take on facing Hertha BSC in the next DFB Cup round?
Ewald Lienen: We were given a very enticing encounter. Our stadium would’ve been sold-out anyway, regardless of our opponent. But the way Hertha have developed is truly remarkable. When this draw was made, that wasn’t necessarily to be foreseen. Despite the quality opponent, we will try to use our chance.
DFB.de: The Millerntor Stadium has witnessed many DFB Cup surprises in its history. What role will the spectators play on Tuesday?
Lienen: The fans always support us. It is our task to give our fans something in return for their outstanding support. Especially in the league of course, but in the Cup as well if we can.
DFB.de: You came to St. Pauli in December 2014. To what extent did their political views and the culture of the club influence your decision?
Lienen:: It’s not the case that I rejected various offers from other clubs in order to wait for FC St. Pauli. But sometimes I do ask myself why I didn’t join this club sooner. I was very happy when FC St. Pauli’s offer came. I was immediately aware that we would be a good fit.
FC St. Pauli have not managed the start to their 2. Bundesliga campaign they were looking for, but in the DFB Cup they are still capable of landing a surprise. The northern German side faces top-tier team Hertha BSC on Tuesday in the second round of the national Cup competition. Ewald Lienen is currently in charge on the sidelines at St. Pauli. The 62-year-old assumed office when the Hamburg-based club were in last place in the second division, but successfully avoided relegation. Last season he led St. Pauli to a fourth place finished, narrowly missing out on the promotion play-off.
In this exclusive interview with DFB.de co-worker Oliver Jensen, Lienen talks about the upcoming Cup encounter, the difficulties second division teams face after having just missed out on relegation and the special culture of his club.
DFB.de: Mr. Lienen, what is your take on facing Hertha BSC in the next DFB Cup round?
Ewald Lienen: We were given a very enticing encounter. Our stadium would’ve been sold-out anyway, regardless of our opponent. But the way Hertha have developed is truly remarkable. When this draw was made, that wasn’t necessarily to be foreseen. Despite the quality opponent, we will try to use our chance.
DFB.de: The Millerntor Stadium has witnessed many DFB Cup surprises in its history. What role will the spectators play on Tuesday?
Lienen: The fans always support us. It is our task to give our fans something in return for their outstanding support. Especially in the league of course, but in the Cup as well if we can.
DFB.de: You came to St. Pauli in December 2014. To what extent did their political views and the culture of the club influence your decision?
Lienen:: It’s not the case that I rejected various offers from other clubs in order to wait for FC St. Pauli. But sometimes I do ask myself why I didn’t join this club sooner. I was very happy when FC St. Pauli’s offer came. I was immediately aware that we would be a good fit.
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DFB.de: What makes this club so special?
Lienen:: Whether you’re in Austria, Switzerland, Finland or even the United States - the entire world knows what FC St. Pauli stands for. Even when we play or train abroad, there will be 500 of our fans running around and they don’t come from Hamburg. The could come from Austria or Switzerland for example. Many people are just happy that there is a club that stands for their values.
DFB.de: Last season, St. Pauli finished in fourth place and many experts believed you would be favourites for a top three spot this campaign. You on the other hand warned, that things would not be as straightforward this year. Were you aware that it would be a difficult start to the season based on the players that left the club and the fact that you were given a tough schedule in the opening few games?
Lienen:: I was saying those things even before the schedule came out. You experience these type of problems every season. Some players will leave the club, while others join. It’s always a fresh start. Last seasons accomplishments don’t mean anything any more. We all start back at zero. Unfortunately I was proven right and we are with our backs against the wall.
DFB.de: Your team is not the first this has happened to. Many 2. Bundesliga sides that narrowly miss-out on promotion will struggle in the next campaign. Recent examples of this are 1. FC Nürnberg, Karlsruher SC and SpVgg Greuther Fürth. How would you explain that?
Lienen:: Every team, that plays a great season in the 2. Bundesliga but doesn’t secure promotion, will lose some of their best players to clubs with better perspectives and more money. That needs to be compensated. We lost four regular players compared with last season. The same applies to Nürnberg this season and was also the case at Karlsruhe last year.
DFB.de: You’ve been working as a coach since 1989 and before that you had a long Bundesliga career. Which coaches inspired you the most?
Lienen:: You learn a lot from many coaches. I learned very much from Udo Lattek and Jupp Heynckes, with whom I played together for many years and even worked with for two years as his assistant coach. The important thing is to learn something from each coach, but don’t try to copy them. That’s the only way to stay authentic.
