Thomas Tuchel has been head coach of FC Bayern since late March. Alongside Prof Dr Holger Broich (scientific director and head of fitness) and Michael Rechner (goalkeeping coach), the coaching staff is completed by Arno Michels, Zsolt Löw and Anthony Barry. We introduce you to Tuchel's three assistants in more detail - in part one: Arno Michels.
Wherever Thomas Tuchel has worked in professional football, Arno Michels has been by his side. The Bayern head coach and his long-time assistant met in 2006 when they were doing their coaching badges, while Tuchel was working in the Augsburg academy. When he was offered the opportunity to take charge of Bundesliga side Mainz 05 three years later, he immediately thought of his former classmate and recruited him as assistant coach.
Michels and Tuchel – blind understanding
Two people on the same wavelength: Michels and Tuchel talk openly on the training pitch.
"Thomas and I have been working together for a long time, there's an incredible amount of trust there," explains Michels. "We're used to each other, which is a clear advantage. At the same time, we always have the curiosity and the freshness to bring in new aspects and to adapt to the circumstances around the relevant team. We understand each other blindly."
Champions League winner with Chelsea
As a player, the 55-year-old featured for SG Ruwertal, SV Wittlich, Morbach, VfL Trier and Eintracht Trier. He played as high as the Regionalliga, but when he retired in 2002, his career on the touchline went much further. Almost 20 years after starting as a coach at his former clubs Morbach and Trier, he celebrated success in the Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup with Tuchel.
Tuchel and Michels have been working together since 2009. Their first joint venture was at 1. FSV Mainz 05.
'We've grown as a team'
The Trier native forms the assistants team together with Englishman Anthony Barry and Hungarian Zsolt Löw, the fifth club at which he's assisted Tuchel after Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. "We've grown as a team. We share a friendly understanding, our families are also very close to each other," describes Michels.
The Bayern coaching staff: Thomas Tuchel, Zsolt Löw, Anthony Barry, Arno Michels, Michael Rechner and Holger Broich.
Video analysis and contact with youth department
As well as day-to-day training work, Michels is mainly responsible for video analysis and coordinating with the youth and scouting departments. He sees himself as a kind of "service provider" in his work with the players. "It's always about the players," he says. "Communication is a crucial core skill in that. You can gain respect and trust first and foremost by engaging intensively with the players and being honest with them." It's with that approach that FC Bayern's success story should continue.
Tuchel and his team celebrated an emphatic 6-0 win over Schalke 04 on Saturday:
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