There were some marvelling faces when a man stepped out of a car and crossed the street to FC Bayern’s Säbener Straße: none other than Giovanni Trapattoni. On Thursday, the former FCB coach (1994/95 and 1996-98) payed a visit to the German champions, with whom he won the Bundesliga and DFB Cup titles – for the first time since his departure 18 years ago.
Trap was astounded at how much Säbener Straße has changed in the meantime. Training pitches, the youth academy, the ServiceCentre… This and much more are new since his time at the club.
The 77-year-old was warmly greeted at the club by the current coach Carlo Ancelotti. “Now we can speak together in German,” suggested Trapattoni with a grin. However, the first and second Italian head coaches at FCB opted for their mother tongue to speak with chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge about the old days, FC Bayern and the city of Munich. Even Hermann Gerland said hello.
There are several parallels in the careers of Trapattoni and Ancelotti. Both were long-time players at AC Milan, both coached Milan, Juventus and Bayern. And both were/are 57 years old when they took over in Munich.
Trapattoni will be at the FC Bayern Erlebniswelt this evening to promote his book “Giovanni Trapattoni – I’m not finished yet”. Rummenigge already has a copy personally presented by Trapattoni.
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