On his first day at work, Thomas Brendel sweetened the start of the week for the staff at the office. There was streusel cake to welcome the new Head of Sport at the third-division football club Dynamo Dresden. Whether he will also give a gift in the form of a desired player to the new coach Thomas Stamm, the 48-year-old left open during his introduction on Tuesday.
Brendel already had to answer enough questions. After all, he is relatively unknown above the regional league and, as he admitted, he knew little about the Dynamoland so far. Nevertheless, he was excited and highly motivated because, 'It was my first application in my sports career. And I am glad I did it.'
Brendel has enough experience in football. He worked for seven years at FSV Frankfurt. There he was a player, as well as at Kickers Offenbach, a coach, for example, at Borussia Fulda, and a sports director. When his application and interview at Dynamo leaked, he was immediately released by FSV. 'Then I was in waiting mode.' Until he got the confirmation.
Of course, it came at a highly inconvenient time. By the end of May, the first opportunities for new, especially athletically attractive players have usually passed. The season that ended without a promotion happy end also meant that Dynamo had to let go of some players they wanted to keep, as supervisory board member Jens Hieckmann openly admitted. It is obvious that the board, which had to appoint the Head of Sports, is not entirely innocent of the situation. After all, it had already agreed in January to dismiss Becker's predecessor, Ralf Becker, which happened in March. Only weeks later, there was the job posting, and the selection process was also accompanied by unpleasant side noises.
At least on Tuesday, the supervisory board relieved Brendel of some pressure. 'It is good for us not to talk about goals now. Of course, as SG Dynamo, we are somewhat driven, and our ambition is to play as high as possible without writing the word promotion and chasing this slogan all year long. We need to make a fresh start now. It is a new challenge, but it is not necessary for the next shot to hit,' said Hieckmann also regarding the club's economic conditions.
All this was met by Brendel with visible satisfaction. Despite his inexperience in the German professional leagues, he feels prepared for the position. 'I know many advisors, especially for young players. That is my main focus. In addition to players who know and master the league, I also want to bring in those who will ensure continuity in Dresden in the coming years,' said the father of two, who wants to relocate with his wife and daughters to Dresden.
He has a major goal. When Dynamo heads to training camp on July 1, the new coach Stamm should have his squad as complete as possible. 'But of course, we want to leave our options open until the end of August to do something. Then the summer transfer window closes, and Brendel's work is put to the test for the first time.'
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