Dardai: "We need to be completely alert"

Pal Dardai says it would be "a dream" to reach the DFB Cup final – in Berlin, with Berlin. The Hertha BSC manager has put his team in a better position to achieve just that than they have been in for a long time. The third-placed side in the league gained even more confidence from their 0-0 draw against Borussia Dortmund at the weekend, and their Hungarian coach spoke to DFB.de with their cup quarter-final against 1. FC Heidenheim coming up this evening.

DFB.de: Mr Dardai, if the point against Dortmund was nice, how would it feel to progress to the DFB Cup semi-finals?

Pal Dardai: You can't compare the two as the Bundesliga and the DFB Cup are two different things. We need to do our job. It's all or nothing for us in Heidenheim – we need to be completely alert so that we don't fall victim to an upset.

DFB.de: How do you get your players fired up for 1. FC Heidenheim?

Dardai: I don't need to do anything. Everyone knows what's at stake. My team are capable of concentrating – it's one of our strengths.

DFB.de: Is it easier to motivate your team against a side of the calibre of Borussia Dortmund than it is for a game against a second-division outfit?

Dardai: Both are equally as important, which we're all well aware of.

DFB.de: Things are going incredibly well for you in the league this season. Is a game against an underdog a potential banana skin?

Dardai: We all dream of going a long way in the cup – for the club, for the fans and for us all. We're pursuing this dream, regardless of whom we're facing.

DFB.de: It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Heidenheim. Reaching the semi-finals of the DFB Cup would probably be the biggest achievement in the history of the club. With that in mind, how do you think they'll play?

Dardai: Heidenheim have a strong, driven and hardworking team, with plenty of versatile and quick players. We're aware of that and we'll be focused on it.

DFB.de: How exactly are you going to set your team up?

Dardai: We have our work cut out in Heidenheim, and we'll go about it in an dedicated and focused manner. If we do that, we have a very good chance of progressing.

DFB.de: How much confidence are you taking from the Borussia game? It was the first time anyone's managed to prevent Dortmund from scoring this season.

Dardai: The 0-0 draw and all the compliments that follow it are irrelevant. It's all about the fight in the cup now.

DFB.de: Can you name three reasons why things are going to much better for Hertha this season than they have in the recent past?

Dardai: Team spirit, style of play, fitness.

DFB.de: Does your team already have the required stability to carry the club through to the final of the DFB Cup?

Dardai: We're not talking about that yet. We need to complete our task in the quarter-final first, and that's demanding enough. Heidenheim are a good team.

DFB.de: What would an appearance in the cup final mean for you, the club and the fans?

Dardai: If it happened, it'd be a dream come true. It's as simple as that!