All for a spot in the squad: HSV star now training with sprint coach | OneFootball

In the battle for a spot in the HSV squad, Silvan Hefti leaves no stone unturned. The Swiss player is currently focusing on improving his speed.

As one of the few players, Silvan Hefti is showing remarkably strong form in the current season preparation. The 27-year-old, who was in the middle of the league with a top speed of 33.36 km/h in the previous second division season, has been specifically working on his sprint technique in recent months. He revealed this for the first time in an interview with Mopo.

Now, the paper brings more details to light: On his mission to become more agile, the Swiss relies on professional support. Since spring, he has been training with compatriot Rolf Fongué, a former professional sprinter.

Fongué, once a successful athlete and now the CEO of "Fongué Performance & Consulting GmbH," coaches numerous football professionals, including Nico Elvedi (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Noah Okafor (AC Milan), and Ridle Baku (RB Leipzig).

And as Fongué shows on his Instagram profile, Hefti increased his top speed mark by 1.8 km/h in just under four months, from 33.8 km/h to an impressive 35.6 km/h. "This is not magic. It's a clear plan, excellent execution, and the hunger to progress," writes the sprint coach additionally.

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According to Fongué, this performance improvement makes Hefti one of the fastest players in the HSV squad. The right-back ranks just behind Fabio Baldé, who was clocked at 35.62 km/h last season. Although such training measurements are not directly comparable to game situations, Hefti's performances in test matches and training sessions indeed suggest a newfound explosiveness.

The right-footer, who experienced an unfortunate debut season, wants to be more active and present. However, there is plenty of competition: With new signing Giorgi Gecholeishvili and William Mikelbrencis, three players are vying for the right-back position. Gecholeishvili trained with the first team after just one day at HSV and is likely to have the best chance in the battle for the right wing-back position. Behind him, there is a duel with William Mikelbrencis, with the loser likely having to leave the club.

It is clear: Hefti is doing everything he can to be able to play at Volkspark next season. "Even though I hoped for more playing time in the first season, nothing has changed," he recently clarified.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.