Always at the ready
There are sometimes amazing stories in football. HSV's crucial round 19 Bundesliga 2-1 win in Berlin was by all accounts a real "six-pointer", but in truth it was much more than that, for one HSV veteran in particular... Describing David Jarolim's relationship to HSV is in some ways similar to the way he plays: "Is he on the ball, he stays on the ball." He hates losing possession, and on the rare occasions he does have the ball taken off him, he battles like a terrier to get it back. However lost the cause may look, nothing changes in his professional attitude towards the game he loves. Take the start of the current season. The Czech midfielder was told in no uncertain terms that the club was in a period of transition during which more trust in younger players would be the order of the day. Jarolim's wealth of experience did not seem to be wanted or needed at that point in time. Since coach Thorsten Fink took charge, "Jaro" has been used sparingly, either in the DFB Cup, with the reserves against Eintracht Trier or for the remaining minutes of a Bundesliga game to play out time. A strange situation for the Rothosen icon, who until the start of this season was one of the first names on the list in first team games. As Fink took charge, he said at the time that he was sure that: "Jarolim will help HSV during the remainder of the season." What that help could look like remained unclear at first. The situation for a model pro like Jarolim who demands so much from himself was anything but easy. Danish sport director Frank Arnesen read the situation and offered Jarolim the chance to join another club on a free transfer should a suitable club express an interest in his services. And there were offers: "I had offers which would have only been makeshift, nothing really up my street. Players in my position will be sought at the end of the season. A move to the desert where big money attracts players would not be for me. I feel fully fit and would like to play on at the highest possible level", revealed the 32 year old battler, capped 29 times by his country. It all sounded at the time like he would be leaving Hamburg after eight years. But things happen fast in the beautiful game, and all of a sudden the midfield dynamo was the centre of attention. Alongside Tomás Rincón in front of the back four at the Olympic stadium in Berlin, Jarolim performed like he had never been away.
Upward curve of a "model pro"
He formed a strong defensive midfield partnership with Tomás Rincón in Berlin. Jaro: "I don't only train for the club but for myself too. You have to be ready when the time comes." That attitude is evident at every training session as the model pro gets stuck into every tackle as if it will be his last. Another major factor in the Jarolim success story is that he has been one of those rare players to avoid serious injury. Tough training and a strict diet form the basis for his life as a player. Where some players return to training following summer holidays with a couple of kilos that have to be shed, Jaro is almost top fit. His experience has given him a good eye for the game as he proved in Berlin, knowing when to join the attack or remain in front of the back four. In one incident a timely Jarolim challenge prevented Hertha's Swiss midfielder Fabian Lustrenberger from scoring. Jarolim is simply there when you need him. Always... |
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