Hingst keeps Turbine spinning

By Mark Bennett

Ariane Hingst may not be the most flamboyant player in the 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam squad but she is definitely the team's leader.

Potsdam switch
Eight years ago the midfield player was quite happily playing for FC Hertha Zehlendorf 03, a small club based in her native Berlin, until national coach Tina Theune-Meyer hinted that she would have to join either 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam or 1. FFC Frankfurt to win a regular place in the Germany team.

Reluctant move
Somewhat reluctantly, Hingst followed that advice and joined Potsdam. At first she never really felt at home, constantly travelling back to Berlin to be with her family and friends. "I needed Bundesliga football and that is why I left Zehlendorf," said Hingst. "As Potsdam is near Berlin it was the obvious choice."

Captaincy helps
The midfield player's performances initially suffered in her new surroundings, but as time went on she grew with the task and when coach Bernd Schröder had the idea of handing her the captaincy, Turbine finally saw the true Ariane Hingst.

Valuable player
The 26-year-old has shown virtues such as leadership, tenacity, skill and pace in recent years making her a valuable member of both the 2004 double-winning Potsdam team and all-conquering German national side. "She lives for the game and you can see that in her face," said Theune-Meyer.

Coach's dream
"Ari is the kind of player every coach loves to have," she added. "She can read and organise a game, she is full of ideas, she dictates the tempo, initiates attacks from a defensive position by playing great passes. She leads a team because everyone can see and feel her passion."

'True captain'
Her club coach agreed, adding: "Ari is a complete player and a vital part of our side. She has got everything coaches want to see in a player and she is a true captain."

Attacking role
As well as shielding the back four, as she normally does for her club, or playing in central defence, as she does for Germany, Hingst likes to get forward and score goals - when she does find the back of the net she normally gets goals that count.

Trondheim double
In the return leg of the UEFA Women's Cup semi-final tie against SK Trondheims-Ørn, two goals from the Potsdam skipper helped turn the match around after Heidi Pedersen had given the home side the lead. In the end the defending German champions booked a comfortable 7-1 aggregate win.

Team player
None the less, the 26-year-old refuses to exaggerate her part in Potsdam's recent success. "We win as a team and we lose as a team," said the 106-times capped international. "I can't achieve anything on my own and other players in the squad have done brilliantly both last season and in our current campaign."