Straus: We have a team with very good players

Alexander Straus from Bergen is the new head coach of the FC Bayern Women. In our interview, the 46-year-old Norwegian explains his coaching philosophy, his aims in Munich and how he wants to achieve them with his new team.

Interview: Alexander Straus

Alexander Straus, welcome to Munich. A sporting question first: what sort of football do you like best?
Straus: "My preferred idea of play is that my teams are always dominant. We have to control the pace of the game when we have the ball and always play boldly and offensively. When we're not in possession, our number one goal must be to regain the ball as quickly as possible so we can start the next attack."

How would you describe your coaching philosophy?
"My coaching philosophy is based on trusting the qualities and abilities of my players and staff. I also see my task as helping everyone to understand and implement our game plan, be it tactically, technically or even in terms of self-understanding, both on and off the pitch."

What are your goals in Munich?
"For a club as prestigious as FC Bayern Munich, our goal must always be to win every competition we enter. But to be successful in the end, we need to focus on getting there. By that I mean every little detail, every single training session and every single game is important. We have to live in the present moment at all times and give everything."

What will it take to achieve these goals?
"In order to achieve our goals, everyone must understand that the big picture is greater than the sum of its parts. We need to make sure everyone - on and off the pitch - pulls together, trusts one another and is loyal to our process and has a common goal. However, we also know great achievements can only be achieved in an environment with a strong work ethic. We have to put in a lot of hard work together to be successful."

What do you know about FC Bayern Munich – the club and your new team?
"Obviously FC Bayern is known around the world, so I know the history and structures of this club. I've also seen a lot of my new team's games in the Champions League in recent years. So I think I know the team and their style of play quite well. We have a team with very good players and I have the utmost respect for the work that previous coach Jens Scheuer and his staff did here. I certainly won't turn everything upside down, but will try to develop the team bit by bit. After Bianca Rech contacted me, I did some research and got to know the philosophy of Mia san Mia. I learned a lot in the process. I think it's fantastic, it immediately brought me closer to this club and I completely identify with it."

What are you most looking forward to?
"First of all, I can't wait for things to get going and for me to meet and get to know everyone, the players, my new team, the team behind the team and everyone involved with the team. I want everyone to understand how important they are to our success. Then I'm really looking forward to the start of training so we can work together on our goals."

All the information about the new FCB Women coach: