1/ Big focus piece on @RBLeipzig_EN coach Jesse Marsch in the Monday @kicker_bl_li magazine. He spoke to Oliver Hartmann at the club’s Austrian training camp. I’ll summarise the key points in this thread for non German speakers.
2/ The piece notes first that Marsch is not your typical Bundesliga coach, favouring openness, fun & freedom over the more usual distance, discipline & rules. Marsch immediately is “per du” with his interviewer, as opposed to using the formal “Sie” or “Herr Hartmann.”
3/ This might seem trivial to someone who doesn’t know German but pretty different for anyone who has ever been immersed in German language culture, indeed a key aspect of daily business life. The piece says this new American openness is something many will have to adapt to.
4/ Marsch apparently doesn’t love that his famous HT speech when coaching Salzburg v Liverpool went viral. For one because he didn’t like the impression that he uses the f—- word a lot. Also as he didn’t want to be seen as the main reason for the team’s fightback.
5/ Marsch doesn’t talk of “his team” but rather of “our group.” Sees himself as a believer in “selfless leadership.” Believes in essence some of the Leipzig players are fully capable of leading themselves & in this case, he doesn’t have to intervene.
6/ Believer in the personal touch. Examples: Flew to Amsterdam to persuade Brian Brobbey he could develop his career even more than Nagelsmann. Visited Mohamed Simakan while recovering from injury. Was in constant contact with Andre Silva to convince him RBL was right move.
7/ Some European conventions will always seem odd to the American. He has no problem saying winning the title is his goal. He finds it strange that in Germany the talk is of being “under pressure.” Marsch says not in his vocabulary & same for US athletes like Michael Jordan.
8/ The Kicker piece does note that Marsch although pleasant and friendly will not accept things from players in training if they’re not to his satisfaction and gives a couple of examples from sessions in Austria.
9/ The rest of the piece recounts documented Marsch history. Bob Bradley as a role model, 6 month world travels with family when he visited 32 countries to improve his perspective, the RB connection with Mintzlaff/Rangnick, his determination while at RBNY to one day coach RBL.
10/ The piece concludes with the view that only time will tell if Marsch’s different approach will bring success in Leipzig. If it doesn’t, it won’t be because he doesn’t give it 100% every day.
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