6 Apr 2009(Mon)

April 3, 2009: It was good to catch up with Gert Engels the other night in very German surroundings in Roppongi.

Over a platter of freshly imported sausage, accompanied by mustard, pickles and brown bread and washed down by a few glasses of white beer, we covered more ground than a meeting of the German Football Association’s technical department heading into a World Cup.

Gert, naturally, was still unhappy at being fired by Reds, as he felt he could have lifted them in the second year of his contract. But it was not to be, and the J.League veteran began the new season in the unfamiliar position of having no club and no dug-out to sit-in, either as manager, head coach or youth coach.

Overall, though, he was in good spirits, and looks forward to his next challenge. But he is going to take his time, and not jump at the first chance that comes along, as it will, inevitably, be with a club that is struggling. Rather, he is quite keen to work with younger players and build a team away from the spotlight, when his Japanese language skills and his coaching experience can prove a real benefit – and money-saver – for a smaller club.

Amidst the turmoil of losing his job, though, he did eventually find time to return to Germany for a belated new year’s holiday, and told me a very amusing story regarding Japan’s two players at Wolfsburg: Hasebe and Okubo.

Wolfsburg were playing away to Cologne, near Engels’ hometown of Duren, at the end of January, and Engels made arrangements to meet Hasebe and Okubo in the lobby of the team hotel.

As Engels was waiting, along came Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath, a tough task-master on the training pitch, putting his players through their paces with military precision and discipline.

Engels introduced himself to Magath and the two were chatting when Hasebe and Okubo appeared.

“Before I leave you,” Magath said to Engels, “please give the players these instructions in Japanese.”

Engels was happy to oblige.

The first message was for Okubo. “Tell him that football is not a circus!” said Magath.

“And tell Hasebe that he must use his body to protect the ball and keep opponents away from him. That’s all!”

Engels laughed at the instruction to Okubo, who has had the German fans puzzled as to why he tries a bicycle kick, among other things, when it is not necessary. Engels knows exactly why he does, because he has seen many Japanese players take the spectacular, crowd-pleasing option at the expense of the safe, percentage play.

Hasebe, whom Engels admires immensely because of his serious approach to the game, is going to have to toughen up in central midfield to face the physical challenges that will come his way, and no one knows that better than the stocky, sturdy Magath.

Engels is convinced that absolutely nothing was lost in translation this time.

ends