Bundesliga
Duda to get watch from Kalou over Hertha goals bet
Ondrej Duda fired Hertha Berlin to victory against Nuremberg on Matchday 18, but his double didn’t just mean a prize of three points for his team. He is also set to be gifted a shiny new watch – courtesy of his teammate Salomon Kalou.
Duda has been the leading light for Hertha this season, racking up an impressive nine league goals in just 17 appearances.
It seems that Kalou played a part in motivating the Slovakian, however, having promised the 24-year-old a brand new timepiece should he manage eight goals in the season.
Duda hit the target with just under half the campaign to go, and – after watching his teammate extend his career-best goals tally for a season - Kalou promised that he would be true to his word.
“I said he should score eight goals. Now he has nine and that’s one too many,” the Ivorian joked, after Duda’s brace gave Hertha a 3-1 in Nuremberg on Sunday.
“Tough luck for Ondrej! No, a deal is deal. He’ll get one.”
Watch: Duda reflects on his second brace of the season
Duda, who had only scored one goal for Hertha before this season, admitted that Kalou’s wager had driven him on.
“I don’t need a Rolex, so I’ll give it away as a present or donate the money,” the attacking midfielder told Bild.
“Salomon spurred me on with his bet. It’s great that I’ve scored so many goals, and can help the team.”
Duda’s early-season performances had Hertha flying high in the table, though his side’s dip in form before the winter break saw the Old Lady drop out of the top six.
The former Legia Warsaw player’s latest goals mark another positive milestone after he previously went through two injury-ravaged years in Germany. But Duda insists he’s not thinking about personal glory – or the possibility that the win over Nuremberg might be the catalyst for seventh-placed Hertha to push on and claim one of the European places on offer.
“The win is much more important than my goals,” he told kicker. “Europa League, Champions League or a relegation battle. I don’t want to think about any of that. We have to take it game by game.”