Hertha now open to renewing with Plattenhardt

After being publicly excluded from the future plans of the club, Hertha BSC are now considering extending the contract of 31-year-old captain Marvin Plattenhardt after all. 

Some eight weeks ago, it looked as if Hertha BSC fullback Marvin Plattenhardt had no future with his long-time club. The 31-year-old veteran – unable to travel to the USA for Hertha’s winter camp in Bradenton, Florida – had no place in the squad. Then sporting director Fredi Bobic announced in early January that, after a nearly a decade spent playing with “die alte Dame”, the defender’s expiring contract would not be renewed.

The Bbobic managerial regime instead extended the expiring contract of the much younger Maximilian Mittelstädt; a deliberate statement about the club’s future plans for Plattenhardt’s position. Despite the fact that Plattenhardt had done perhaps more than any other player to help keep Hertha in the Bundesliga last season, the actor whom current head-coach Sandro Schwarz tapped to lead the team this past summer would exit.

The administrative upheaval that followed Bobic’s dismissal in late January would potentially herald a re-think. Current club sporting director Benjamin Weber has now publicly confirmed that his team have been in contact with Plattenhardt about extending his deal. Schwarz has continued to call upon his skipper, starting him in the last five fixtures. Plattenhardt plays an important flexible role in the trainer’s new 3-5-2.

“We always been clear, even in training camp, that he would remain our captain,” Schwarz commented during his Friday presser, indicating that Plattenhardt would also start away at Leverkusen, “Marvin had to fight his way back [in the XI] performance-wise. He did so. Maxi [Mittelstädt] can occupy the position as a left lane player very well. Currently, ‘Platte’ is ahead of him We need this competitive situation.”

Chief personnel exec Weber confirmed to Kicker Magazine’s Steffen Rohr that the front office was considering renewing Plattenhardt’s deal, though the newly appointed manager strongly suggested that Hertha would only be interested if Hertha avoid relegation.

“I’ve nothing to do with what was discussed with him before,” Weber, also in attendance at the Friday press conference, said of the captain, “Marvin as captain is playing the games now and we will have open-ended talks. At present, it’s about playing twelve games successfully and not commenting on a name every day. We will make our assessments and hold talks. How that turns out, we’ll see.”

More about Marvin Plattenhardt

More about Hertha BSC