Sebastian Polter personally shot 1. FC Union Berlin to victory in the city derby against Hertha BSC last season (1-0 win), but the attacker was not loved by everyone by his former employer. The Fortuna Sittard striker refused to cooperate in a wage sacrifice as a result of the corona pandemic. This made him the only player in the selection of the Berlin PhD candidate, which was certainly not appreciated.
The derby ignited when Polter gave Union Berlin the lead from the penalty spot three minutes before the end. It turned out to be the only goal of the match, after which the tall German was briefly adored. After the game, fireworks were fired from the box with the Hertha supporters who traveled in the direction of the home supporters. “My girlfriend and my two children were also at the competition,” says Polter in an extensive interview with Football International. “One rocket hit less than five meters next to them. They were afraid of their lives. ”
For Polter, the farewell to Union Berlin in mid-2020 did not go as planned. The German demanded that there would be contractual adjustments to a wage offering. That did not happen, after which Polter was the only selection player who decided not to agree to surrender his salary. “I have signed up not to be negative about Union. But I can say that the club should have handled this situation differently with me. I have been portrayed as someone I am not. An egoist, a money grubber. And I am a very social and caring boy. ”
Polter said it was not about the money, he said several times. “I said right away, and then kept repeating that I had no problem giving up salary, that I wanted to give up as much as the rest. But I questioned the way the club handled it. had to face certain contractual adjustments. It became a matter of principle. A group of teammates had the same opinion as me, but in the end I ended up alone. “
And so Polter decided to look elsewhere. The 29-year-old attacker came into contact with former trainer Kevin Hofland, who convinced him to come to Fortuna. “A club and a league don’t really interest me much, I want to feel that a coach wants me,” said Polter. “And Kevin gave me that feeling immediately. He also provided a clear picture of Fortuna’s plans and my role in the whole. I decided not to wait any longer, not to have any other conversations and to follow my feelings to Sittard. I have not regretted that. ” Partly thanks to Polter’s 8 goals in 21 league matches, Fortuna has climbed to the beautiful ninth place in the Eredivisie. On Sunday, the team of trainer Sjors Ultee will visit FC Groningen.
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