Peter Hermann: Specialist in his field, bridge between generations

Arm in arm with Franck Ribéry, deep in conversation with David Alaba, beer showers with Arjen Robben – there are countless scenes that have stayed in the memory and show what an extraordinary figure Bayern lost on Saturday. Peter Hermann, the indispensable right-hand man of treble-winning boss Jupp Heynckes, passed away at the age of 74, and German football is mourning the loss of a unique bridge between generations, a man of great humanity and a true specialist in his field.

Jan-Christian Dreesen, now FC Bayern CEO and already a member of the board when the club won the treble in 2013, still remembers exactly what an impression the then assistant made: “Jupp Heynckes and Peter Hermann were a duo who worked together in perfect harmony – just as one could only hope.” Peter impressed everyone with his whole demeanour. He was always ready to listen to the young players as well as the experienced ones and was always there as a fatherly figure. What’s more, you’d regularly see him tirelessly on the pitch during extra training sessions whenever a player wanted to work on their game. Whilst Jupp was pondering the tactics for the next opponent, Peter remained the point of contact for the players. The two of them were a prime example of how to complement each other perfectly. And the reward was the treble.” When Heynckes took over as head coach in Munich again in 2017, his condition was that Hermann be brought over from Düsseldorf. Dreesen fulfilled this request.

Over the past few years, Hermann had been fighting with all his might against the neurological disease ALS, and many of his friends and colleagues stood by his side. It speaks volumes about his popularity that over 150 people repeatedly sent moving video messages. In total, more than four hours of footage was compiled, conveying words of encouragement and sympathy. From the club’s former board of directors – including Uli Hoeneß, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Dreesen – to the current president Herbert Hainer, as well as players such as Manuel Neuer, Thomas Müller, Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Franck Ribéry, Arjen Robben, Dante, Robert Lewandowski, Leon Goretzka, Jérôme Boateng and even coaching legend Hermann Gerland – the entire Bayern family, along with other colleagues from his time at Leverkusen and Schalke, sent their messages of support to Hermann.

In those messages, the likes of Müller offered a heartfelt “Thank you for all these years” as a greeting, whilst Lahm said with a smile that he “wasn’t always happy with your performances as a referee in training, but afterwards we’d always end up hugging each other and laughing. You were an outstanding assistant and a vital link between the team and the head coach – thank you for everything you’ve done for us!” A message from Ribéry read: “Peter, my friend! You know we’ll never forget what we’ve all achieved together. Bisou mon ami!” Words that say it all and will echo forever. Bayern will always hold Peter close to their hearts.