Ottmar Hitzfeld: ‘At Bayern you can never let up’

Ottmar Hitzfeld celebrates his 75th birthday on 12 January. In our interview, the long-serving head coach talks about his team’s Champions League triumph in 2001, the dramatic loss in the final two years earlier, the determination in the eyes of Stefan Effenberg, the phenomenon of Thomas Müller and the goalscorer Harry Kane.

Interview with Ottmar Hitzfeld

Ottmar Hitzfeld, what are your thoughts on turning 75? What does this number do to you, what does it mean to you?
Hitzfeld: "I actually always celebrate my birthdays in the same way, with my family. I'm generally not the type to constantly look back - you have to live in the now. The present is what counts. For me, it's important to be satisfied and happy with what you have in life. I'm doing well, I can be content. I’m grateful."

When you look at your milestone ages: At 25, you were playing for Basel, having just competed at the Olympic Games, where you first drew attention to yourself - what kind of guy were you back then?
"I remember how I applied to Basel as an amateur player. I rang the coach - in those days, a coach was simply in the phone book - introduced myself and asked if I could come round. He said I should come and train with him the next day, no fuss. He then wanted to draw up a contract straight away, but I put him off because I wanted my brother, a lawyer, to check everything first. Overall, it was a carefree time. After completing my studies, I was able to concentrate fully on football."

At 50, you were coach of FC Bayern - a few months later in the same year came the Champions League final in 1999, the most brutal defeat of your life. Uli Hoeneß still gushes today that you had the strength back then to immediately look to the future...
"It was very difficult for me too. But you have to be in the moment, grasp the situation and analyse it immediately. What happens next? Everyone was devastated, but as a coach you have the task of setting new standards. I thanked the team, they had played a good game, we were the better team, it was fate. I said: We have to set the course now, we have to stick together. Accusations, especially public ones, won't get us anywhere."

Did that lay the foundation for the Champions League victory two years later in Milan?
"I'm convinced of that. It was important that we had a goal in mind right away. It was a dangerous situation when someone said the wrong thing in an interview, but I knew that we could get through that brutal defeat and then get the chance to achieve great things. This team was exceptional."

You once confessed that you were often afraid during your career. Afraid that success would fail to materialise, afraid of being thrown off the coaching merry-go-round - can fear also be a driving force?
"You always have to block out negative things as best you can. But fear is also good to a certain extent. It prevents you from becoming arrogant. But you can't become anxious. There's a difference, because then you leave the field to doubts in the long term. You can't wear yourself down."

You never made it easy for yourself - you spent three hours preparing speeches to the team, writing everything down on A4 sheets of paper... Was meticulous preparation the be all and end all?
"That was my life. I never wanted to be in the position of having to reproach myself afterwards if I lost. If I'm prepared, nothing can surprise me. So, you have to have a concept, especially as otherwise you also run the risk of becoming emotional in stressful situations. As a coach, as a role model, I always have to remain calm. I kept the speeches open because I wanted to look the players in the eye. I wanted to see their reaction, whether I could reach everyone, whether their concentration was high. These are professionals who are in a tunnel before the game, but as a coach you have to get through to them."

Were the eyes of a Stefan Effenberg, a Lothar Matthäus, an Oliver Kahn special - what did you see there?
"Determination. You had to take them with you, make them realise that they are role models and have to take responsibility, even when things aren't going well. Working with so many alpha males took a lot of strength. You never knew in the morning what was going to be in the papers. But you need guys like that. It's not a pleasant job to assert yourself on the pitch at Bayern, and you can't win the big games without guys like that. Once, at Old Trafford against Manchester United, David Beckham wanted to shake hands with Stefan Effenberg after Effenberg had fouled him. But Stefan refused at that moment: ‘What do you want? We're not friends on the pitch!’ That's football, if you want to win something - you can shake hands afterwards."

You later suffered from depression and dealt with it openly, making you a role model for many sufferers. What is your tip for dealing with this taboo subject?
"That you talk about it. That's the most important thing, that you don't tell yourself that I can do it alone, that I have to get through it. You won't get anywhere that way. You have to have the courage to open up and get help."

What do you make of FC Bayern today?
"I think the task for 2024 is to bring even more of that Bayern self-image back onto the pitch. The team has huge quality, and anything is possible if everyone is energetic and agile. The reactions after the cup defeat in Saarbrücken and the 5-1 loss in Frankfurt were the way it has to be at Bayern. You can never let up at this club, not one day, not one game."

Which player impresses you the most today?
"I'd basically have to list them all. It was important to get Harry Kane as a goalscorer. He has a top mentality. For me, Joshua Kimmich is a leader who will be back in 2024, I'm sure of that. Thomas Müller is a phenomenon who has internalised Mia san mia like no other. A fantastic character, already a legend."

What would happen today if a player slapped another player in training like Bixente Lizarazu did to Lothar Matthäus in your day?
"That was already an earthquake in our day [smiles]. I called them both into the dressing room straight away, demanded a discussion, an apology. That's what it's all about. You have to be transparent and find clear solutions quickly. When Oliver Kahn skipped the Christmas party as captain, I also had to think about what we were going to do. If I sit the best goalkeeper in the world on the bench, I'm doing myself a disservice. So, there was a fine. The players had to know that even the top performers would be punished."

Fans will never forget your tears when you said goodbye at the Allianz Arena in spring 2008. What does FC Bayern still mean to you today?
"That was the end of an era for me. FC Bayern gave me an incredible amount. I was very proud to have worked here twice as a coach. It was always important to me that you were also recognised as a person. You can't just be a tough guy all the time. I wanted to have understanding for the players, the club and the fans. Mutual respect is fundamental, that's the basis, and you always have to work for it."

Illustrations: David Diehl

The full interview is available to read in the latest edition of FC Bayern members’ magazine ‘51’