“Perhaps one or the other has had too many negative experiences here – and just can’t get them out,” says 96 coach Jan Zimmermann (42).
“It is a mental strength to deal with setbacks,” said sports director Marcus Mann (37). Most of the players were overwhelmed by that.
Do the Reds need external help from a mental coach or psychologist?
Babak Rafati, 51, believes it would help 96 fight the crisis. “I would advise doing something in this area,” emphasizes the former referee, who has worked as a mental coach for years and looks after numerous top athletes (including professional footballers).
Rafati: “It’s about emptying the backpack.”
In individual and group discussions, blockages could be resolved and exaggerated expectations could be classified. Rafati: “Players who have already played in the first division have that in mind. And suddenly they don’t even win against Sandhausen, brooding and doubting more and more. You have to know: Even when you start to think, it robs you of many percent of your performance. “
A mental coach can quickly improve things, because: “Footballers are relatively open and quickly get to the point where the shoe pinches. For them, a mental coach is like a physiotherapist – you entrust yourself to him. “
The prerequisite, however, is the willingness to be helped.
Rafati’s tip: “An anonymous survey so that the sports management knows how many players are actually interested. And then offer three contacts to give the guys a choice. “