Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Follow German going once more
congregating outside stadiums here, or anything like that, when games get up and running again, because people here recognise the gravity of what’s going on.
“So, rather than football starting again being something the authorities worry about, it’s looked at in a way where, if the games are on TV here, that’s good, because it’s something extra for people to do while they’re in their houses.”
Fotheringham was taken to FC Ingolstadt by gaffer Tomas Oral, who was Felix Magath’s assistant at Fulham.
Oral also employed Fotheringham as a coach at SC Karlsruher three years ago – and during a brief firefighting spell at Ingolstadt at the end of last season.
The Dundee-born coach is relishing the opportunity to reunite with Oral for a third time – and can’t wait to put his work on the training ground into action.
“We don’t have a date to restart our season yet, but there are constant conference calls going on and the league and teams are taking all the official advice on board,” said Fotheringham.
“The schools over here are going back next week and a lot of the football teams are back too, including ours, and the rule is you have to train in groups of four – including the coach.
“The first group of players is coming in about eight in the morning and, from then, the coaches are on the pitch with different groups until about half-one without a break.
“It’s a tough shift for the coaches but the main thing is we’ve got the boys on the pitch again.
“The players are driving to the training ground wearing their training gear, parking their cars, then going straight on to the pitch without going into the building, then they’re straight back into their cars afterwards and home.
“It’s a different way of working – and there’s a l ot of hard work involved for the players – but this is why we’re here.
“We want to get this club promoted and, as soon as the matches are up and running again, that’s what we’ll be aiming for.”