Bayern Munich and Real Madrid will star in a new chapter of an already historic rivalry in the UEFA Champions League. The Allianz Arena will host the first leg (Tuesday, 9:00 p.m.) and the Bernabéu will host the return leg. It will be a special tie for Carlo Ancelotti, who was on the Munich bench for two seasons, 16-17 and 17-18. There he met Hermann Gerland (69 years old), known as Der Tiger (Tiger). It’s not just any name. He has been part of the coaching staff of Van Gaal, Heynckes, Guardiola, Carletto and Hansi Flick. It is also one of the most beloved people in the Bavarian club, where he has developed a large part of his career as a trainer.
Now he is an assistant in Germany U21, but he coached players of the caliber of Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Müller and Alaba in the Bayern under-17 team. The Austrian center https://twitter.com/David_Alaba/status/1003741756096204801 in x (formerly known as Twitter), highlighting their work and importance in their training: “My mentor and a very important person at Bayern since my first day.” The feeling in the German team is unanimous: he has been, in the years in which he has been, one of the most important figures in aspects such as the training of young talents or the application of “strange” techniques in training. One of them captivated Carlo Ancelotti.
Gerland always went to training two hours early. He did it on purpose, in order to have enough time to put into practice the “rare” technique that Ancelotti liked so much. Called ‘the pendulum’, this exercise sought to enhance the aerial game of the footballersand, therefore, of the team. It usually took place after the group sessions. Hermann was in charge of setting the height of the ball and also modifying it with a rope that went up or down depending on the player.
“After training, I went to the pitching pendulum with Tiago Dantas. In training, others always make fun of my headers a little because it’s not my strong point now. That’s why I did it, to improve a little. The Tiger “He was very happy,” Musiala acknowledged in an interview with the club’s official media in 2021. There is no one who has set foot in Munich in recent years and does not know the pendulum by Hermann Gerland.
The operation is simple: Hermann stood to one side, tied the rope and set the height of the ball. With the forwards and defenders, the demand was greater. In addition to the aerial game, he sought to bring out the jumping power of his players and, of course, for them to put it into practice during the games. It was not mandatory to swing the pendulum after training, but most of the footballers took the opportunity to talk to him.
Gardening tools and straws to Ribéry
His character did not go unnoticed in training. He took advantage of any opportunity to ‘sting’ the players. Even He even appeared in the Bayern Munich sports city with gardening tools to bother them and prevent them from performing the exercises correctly. “He’s a horny guy,” comment the journalists who follow the news about the Munich team.
There are many photos in which he appears laughing alongside the coaches he met during his time at Bayern Munich. Telling jokes is one of the things he likes most and his figure has been key in the training of many boys. He trained the generation led by Lahm which also included Alaba, Müller and Schweinsteiger. Everyone remembers that stage with special affection. And the words of the Austrian central defender prove it.
Also the videos in which he appears joking with Ribéry. “He developed a father-son relationship with Frank. In every training session they always had a moment to slap each other’s cheeks affectionately. [risas] or to make jokes on each other,” they say from BILD.
