Daniel Stendel gives his first interview on being reappointed as Barnsley head coach, ready for a new chapter.
Earlier this month, the 52-year-old signed an initial two-year deal, returning to a club who he guided to promotion from League One in 2019.
He ended sacked following a run of ten games without a win, yet his departure sparked widespread criticism of the board.
Stendel has since gone on to manage Scottish club Hearts, French outfit Nancy, and returned to Germany side Hannover 96 to manage their reserve team.
Interviewer: So Daniel, you’re back. Welcome back to Barnsley. How does it feel to return to the football club?
Daniel: Yeah, I’m really excited when I yesterday, I fly to Manchester, and I come to the stadium in town yesterday and a lot of experiences from the past and I hope I have really really good experiences in the next few years. I hope so.
Interviewer: What made this the right moment for you to return to Barnsley?
Daniel: Okay. I think after I leave, I, every time, follow the club, I look at what is the development in the club. I think three years ago I watched the game and live in the stadium and for me it was every time I still in contact with some guys from the football club and this time was the first time where I think it’s the time to come back because when you asked a lot of friends of mine in Germany, I told every time my biggest target is to one time go back to to England and when I have the chance to go back to Barnsley, it’s the right moment for me.
Interviewer: Well, we all know about the the success of the last time. What do you remember from that first spell? Is there any particular memories that that stick with you from then?
Daniel: Yeah, it’s a lot of memories, yeah. Our promotion, especially the first time I come over the first time for me abroad from Germany and yeah, the first game was a home game against Oxford. I love the enthusiasm from the supporters and from the intensity on the pitch and yeah was a lot of big games, Sunderland games, but the most time I like the support not only in the home games, also away games, from the from the Barnsley fans and yeah it was a great time for me.
Interviewer: You’ve obviously been here over the last couple of days being back at the club. How has that felt just just being in the building walking around? What does sort of Oakwell mean to you?
Daniel: Yeah, it’s in around the the stadium, Oakwell, a lot of things look the same. The the town look the same. And when you when you arrive to the stadium from the top and you can see it’s a lot of memories but inside a lot of things changed. The dressing room changed and the coaching, offices, changed a lot of new things, also the members that work in the club, you and a lot of other guys but I like it also, when you have too much of what is the same like 8 years ago you expected the same and it’s a new staff, a new situation, it’s a new team and I like to have a little bit more, the feeling we start new. We want to improve. Everybody want to improve. We want to build a new new team, a new identity and this is what I like and I hope we can do it.
Interviewer: So you mentioned the change sort of off the pitch over that time, but what about what fans can expect from the team? But is it that sort of same style of play that that was there sort of the the the last time the in the first spell?
Daniel: Okay, you improve every time you get experience, every time in your life. I also hope I improve in the idea to play. But what I first every time, is my patient is not big. This is the way that I like to play with high intensity, high press, fast transition in both direction and also what I like is that we work as a team, not only on the pitch, also with the crowd in the stands. All together, we work on the the good performance and that the feeling we all have the same target. We want to work hard for the best result for for the club and this is what I like and this is what I would try to do with the team and with the club.
Interviewer: So as you say you mentioned that high intensity sort of pressing football. It’s very much that same philosophy and and why do you think that suits here at Barnsley like from your last time here?
Daniel: I think a little bit is the mentality of the the town and also of the region, and my feeling is also this is English football. Yeah. It’s like high intensity. It’s the, like, the power on the pitch and I’m a hard worker. I think everybody in this country hard working and especially in this area, so sometimes I have also, and I like it in the first time when I was here and the centre backs play two square balls and the crowd ah, what we want to play, attacking football and this is exactly my character and I think this is the reason why it fits.
Interviewer: Yeah, you mentioned that fit and it certainly seems a good fit. In terms of the football club signing younger players and wanting to develop younger players. Does that fit in with your sort of ideologies and things that you want to do as well with with your experiences in your career?
Daniel: You can ask everybody when I talked before I signed the contract. I believe it’s the best chance to improve in this style when we have a younger squad. Every team need experience. Yeah? But we need also player to be open minded for new ideas, for more brave high press, bigger space, and I think this is the way when I leave Barnsley and I hope this is the way for the next few years.
Interviewer: And on those players then those sort of younger players, what is it that you in particular look for in in a younger player or somebody you are signing? What makes them a Daniel Stendel type of player?
Daniel: Okay. I like when the player like to improve. He’s hungry to have success for himself and also for for the team and the club and the right mentality, hardworking and then or other, it’s my job to bring in the team and to improve the player but important is the attitude and the mindset from the player to be openminded and I would help to to to get him as a better player.
Interviewer: And what about this season ahead then? What have sort of the the goals, the priorities for this season?
Daniel: I think we improve next year. It’s different. I think it’s different. I can only say I start yesterday to last week maybe. But when we start the pre-season, we try to bring the team to the style what the player can expect it and the crowd can expect it of mine and then I hope we can show it in the season.
Interviewer:You mentioned the crowd, the Barnsley fans, a lot of them are incredibly excited to have you back at the football club, Daniel. Do you have a message for the fans at all for for for the season ahead?
Daniel: Yeah, I think I expected the support, what I remember from my first time in Barnsley and also a little bit patient. I hope in the crowd we start with a lot of new things, we maybe we come back to abilities what was in the club before and everybody like to have success from the first match but I think it need time and I hope everybody give us the time to improve and I think we have a good time together.
Here’s how fans reacted after Daniel Stendel gives his first interview on being reappointed as Barnsley head coach…
— Nathan (@NathanH83777298) May 29, 2026
@beardedtyke: Not being funny or owt, but I fucking love him
@archie76084: Let’s make Oakwell a fortress again
@Lucaswaddy: I think my favourite thing about him is how patchy is English is because it’s so much better to listen to than someone who tries to talk fancy to the press
@Zak_Watson_26: As he said here, it will take time and we shouldn’t just expect to be winning week in week out straight away. It might take a year, it might take two, aslong as we improve, we need to get behind him and the team, even if that means no playoffs again
@Young_Nudger:
Total reset.
And total opposite to what we have endured under the last 3 HCs – especially under Neill ‘sideways’ Collins.
But as Daniel has said – it will take time to get things sorted.
Things such as:
A return to vertical football.
Defence to sort out.
Players leaving.
New players coming in.
Basically getting the team to play as a team.
Fingers crossed DS still has the same hunger which he showed last time.
If he has – then there are exciting times ahead.
@MasonHendlq62: I fucking love that guy the passion in him is brilliant
@SimonSteer11: Got to 100% support the team and DS collectively. Budgets are budgets and result and changes take time to embed. Look at Lincoln 3 yrs project with improvements year in year but great football and ultimately a positive outcome! @BarnsleyFC COYR 🔴⚪️⚽️
@tyke_gamin: I’ll say this now. We as fans need to back this man and what ever team he makes. Doesn’t matter if one week we get smashed 5-0 this isn’t a quick fix but this man will fucking do it right
@kel_d98: God am obsessed with him
@TarnUpdatez: ‘It’ll take time’. ‘Patience needed’. If we’re going to continue this long suffering drought, let’s at least play rock n roll football.
@MrMikeyMooshoo: Forgot how much I missed this man, straight talking (as much as he can), optimistic but with realism sprinkled in, and knows (actually knows) what barnsley folk expect. Fucking love Stendel. I dont expect a replica season but im definitely looking forward to 26/27
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