PROLOGUE

When Jürgen Klopp became Liverpool head coach, Germany’s coaching blueprint appeared complete. One of the most charismatic and motivational coaches in the game had been given the job at one of the biggest and proudest clubs in the world in the world’s most popular league. But Klopp wasn’t alone. David Wagner made history at Huddersfield Town, while Daniel Farke hopes to do the same at Norwich City. Later, Daniel Stendel joined Barnsley, keen to prove Hannover made a mistake in removing him for a more experienced head coach. It wasn’t just individuals who were desired, it was the concept of German coaching that appeared intriguing.

Over two years, I travelled around Germany to find out more about what it is to be a coach in that country and what the traits are that make a good one. I spoke to coaches who missed out on the top jobs but never lost their love for the game, players who experienced the very best of German coaching, international assistant coaches, the men who coach the coaches, and one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s best friends.

I wanted to hear about life as a talented coach in a country that has become a recruitment source for top coaches. What makes Julian Nagelsmann a resounding success? How does Ralf Rangnick keep nurturing talented players? How important a figure is Matthias Sammer for German coaching? How does it feel to be a head coach without a job?

In the end I kept coming back to two central questions: what makes a good head coach? And what is it that German coaches contribute to that ideal? More often than not, the answer was about people. I learnt that, just like many parts of work and society, it’s about being a Menschenfänger. This is a brilliant German word that highlights the beautiful logic of the language. Literally translated it means ‘people catcher’, and while also a word for a pole weapon, the modern meaning is far less sinister. It means you have to be someone that people believe in. Someone whose belief and drive and understanding are so strong that others are caught up in them and want to follow.

Suddenly, questions about the world, collective thinking, space to reflect and core values became part of the conversations I was having. It became clear just how much there was to learn from the people working in the world’s most popular sport, particularly those working behind the scenes.

Popularity does have its price though, and that’s part of the reason that comparisons with English football are important. For all the stars on the pitch and in the dugout in the Premier League, there are concerns about the development of and opportunity available to young English players and coaches. Germany isn’t perfect, but what it has done in terms of coaching and player development is in many ways exemplary. There is value in not being at the top of football’s food chain.

Mario Götze, Thomas Müller and Christian Pulisic are some of the most talented players in Germany, but they wouldn’t be part of Germany’s football history were it not for the people who developed them. Michael Calvin wrote a fantastic book about how head coaches in England are Living on the Volcano. In Germany, head coaches are growing in the rich soil just below the mountain. This is just part of their story.