All three Dardai sons now at Hertha BSC - fans sceptical for now

After eleven years in the top flight, Hertha BSC Berlin have been relegated to Bundesliga 2. The goal is, of course, direct promotion, and the Dardai family will help. With coach Pal Dardai already training his two sons Bence (17) and Marton (21) at the club, the oldest of the bunch is now following suit: Palko Dardai (24). Although the family reunion offers opportunities, it also harbours risks. With this in mind, FanQ wanted to know from the fans in Germany how they see the chances for the Dardais and whether new signing Palko can help the team immediately.

All good things are Dardai

Family members working together in a club, whether as players, coaches or staff, is nothing unusual at first. In an article, the SZ newspaper recalled the Argentinian brothers Kevin, Francis and Alexis Mac Allister, for example, who played together for Argentinos Juniors in a match in the Argentinian first division in 2017. However, they were not also coached by their father, which is now the case at Hertha. However, the capital city club is a novelty in the current situation, at least in Germany but possibly also internationally. Following the signing of Palko Dardai, the family around Hertha's record-breaking Bundesliga player Pal Dardai is now complete. However, the question arises as to how well these family ties work under pressure and whether the team chemistry could be affected more quickly in the event of failure. Dardai boss Pal has always made it clear that he views his sons more critically than other players. After Palko's competitive debut in the Europa League in 2017, his father emphasised: "He has to show more than the others."

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Bence Dardai is the youngest of the bunch, the 17-year-old was crowned European champion with the U17 national team at the beginning of June. He plays in midfield on the 8 or 10 and is probably the most talented of the three brothers, his passing qualities and sense of space characterise him in particular. In the coming season, he will probably play in various teams, with the U19s and U23s as well as the professional team all offering opportunities.

Marton Dardai is 21 years old and the middle son; he was the first player to commit to staying in the second division after Hertha were relegated. Marton is a trained centre-back, but during the preparations he played exclusively in defensive midfield. However, there is a chance that he will switch back to his usual position following the possible departure of Marc Oliver Kempf. The 21-year-old impresses with his qualities in opening up play and his excellent overview.

Palko Dardai is the oldest of the sibling trio, and at 24 years of age he already has a little more experience than his younger brothers. He has already come through all of Hertha's youth teams, most recently playing for Hertha BSC II. He left there in 2021 to seek his fortune in Hungary and has developed into a more complete player at Fehervar FC in recent years, as his scoring record in the Hungarian league and the Conference League shows. Palko is versatile, he feels at home on the wings, but can also operate as a 10 or hanging centre-half in a 4-4-2 system. His shooting ability and understanding of the game are his greatest strengths. In this context, FanQ wanted to find out from fans whether Palko can immediately play a leading role at Hertha. The results show that half of the respondents (49.5 %) do not think so and believe he has not yet reached the necessary level. This contrasts with 29.7 % of fans who say he will play a key role straight away.

In light of the facts, FanQ wanted to know from the fans how they see the Dardais' overall chances in the coming season. For the most part, the survey participants are divided on who will have the most promising future in the family. Only 16.83 % of respondents believe that all four will have an important role. More than half of the fans (52.48 %) believe that Bence will still need some time before he can help the team. One in five participants (19.8 %) think father Pal will not be on the bench for long, while 13.86 % do not believe that Marton will be given a regular place. There is somewhat greater scepticism regarding the latest signing of Palko, with over a quarter of respondents (26.73 %) convinced that he will not be able to establish himself in midfield.