Footballer or manager – which job is more stressful?

At the last meeting between FC Südtirol and Cosenza he was on the pitch as captain, this time he is watching the game from the stands in the Drususstadion in Bolzano. Hannes Fink feels comfortable in his new role as a club official; the 32-year-old Rittner doesn't miss the life of a footballer.

Hannes Fink: “My current job is definitely more time-consuming. On the other hand, I no longer have to listen to my body so much when I do sports. During my active time, I always had to be extremely careful and think about whether this or that could possibly harm me. Now I do what I like in my free time. I have never regretted the move behind the desk. I like my new work, Paolo Bravo and Dietmar Pfeifer immediately involved me in the decision-making processes. Dietmar and I always end the working week with a tennis match. I need sport to stay physically fit. One thing hasn't changed: the tension of the game has remained the same. After all, FC Südtirol was and is my club.”

On Saturday FC Südtirol will play at home against Cosenza. That doesn't bring back fond memories...

“In terms of atmosphere, the game in Cosenza was a career highlight. We were a very young team back then. I think we got the maximum out of it. We didn't have a particularly deep squad, at most 13 or 14 players. In the second half in Cosenza we noticed that it was going to be tight for us. The semi-final exit was a big disappointment, but that season under Paolo Zanetti was also a new beginning in which we laid the foundation for later promotion, even if we had to wait another four years.”

<a data-caption="Tommaso D'Orazio und Hannes Fink standen sich 2018 im Serie-C-Play-off-Halbfinale zwischen Cosenza und FC Südtirol gegenüber, nun stehen beide in den Diensten der Weiß-Roten." data-fancybox="inline-126395" target="_image" href="https://s3-images.sportnews.bz/_images/scale/1280x1280/img/2022/09/tommaso-d39orazio-und-hannes-fink-standen-sich-2018-im-serie-c-play-off-halbfinale-zwischen-cosenza-und-fc-suedtirol-gegenueber-nun-stehen-beide-in.jpg"> Tommaso D'Orazio and Hannes Fink faced each other in the Serie C play-off semi-final between Cosenza and FC Südtirol in 2018, and now both are in the service of the white-reds.

FCS and Cosenza were considered the hottest relegation candidates in Serie B before the start of the season. What do you think?

“You have to accept that. From the paper form that may be true, but that doesn't mean anything. In the end, the truth is on the pitch. It is probably a fact that both teams, FC Südtirol and Cosenza, will fight to stay in the league until the end.”

Were you surprised that coach Pierpaolo Bisoli took this approach?

“I'll be honest: I didn't expect 6 points from the first 2 games. But I was convinced that it would work. When we met with Bisoli, I immediately felt like he was a good fit for us.” “He really impressed me with his charisma, his down-to-earth attitude and his eye for detail.” Hannes Fink about Pierpaolo Bisoli What impressed you most about Coach Bisoli?

“The energy that he puts into his daily work, but also the power that he radiates, is amazing. And that's not all: every working day at Bisoli is exciting, you always learn something new. He impressed me greatly with his charisma, his down-to-earth attitude and his eye for detail, both tactically and mentally. FC Südtirol can only stay in Serie B if they work as a team. Bisoli doesn’t rely on team unity, he trains it.”

They predict a great coaching future for Leandro Greco. How is the collaboration between Bisoli and Greco going?

“ Leo Greco did a very good job in the 3 weeks as head coach. We could have definitely scored points in Brescia and against Venezia. The team also laid the foundation for the two successes against Pisa and Como under Greco. He communicates with Bisoli every day and makes his contribution. Greco is intelligent enough to know that it was not the right moment to seek a permanent solution with him as head coach.”

“Bad luck alone is certainly not an explanation.” Hannes Fink about the many muscle injuries in FCS

The new season has only just begun and FC Südtirol has already had to deal with several failures. There were already half a dozen muscle injuries to complain about. Is this just bad luck or is it due to poor preparation?

“Bad luck alone is certainly not an explanation. We have 3 fitness coaches, 3 physiotherapists and 4 trainers – everyone shares responsibility. It's no secret that the summer preparation in the training camp didn't go as we would have hoped. Added to this is the higher league – a Serie B game requires more energy than a third division match, both physically and mentally. An example: Before his injury, Fabian Tait completed more sprints in 38 minutes in the home game against Venezia than he did in 90 minutes against Padova last year. Even the impressiveness of the stadiums drains energy. Other clubs have also suffered from a few muscle injuries, but we definitely have a few too many. We now have to look together to see what we can optimize. This affects all members of the coaching team, not just one person alone. The coach and his employees work in consultation with the fitness trainers and vice versa.”

Serie B Italy	SP	TV	P
1. Parma	34	59:32	70
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Footballer or manager – which job is more stressful?

Hannes Fink put on the FC Südtirol professional jersey for 15 years. The former captain moved behind the desk in the summer. S+ spoke to Rittner about a wide range of topics.

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