Ex-HSV-Coach im Interview
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A good ten years ago, Joe Zinnbauer trained Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga and then FC St. Gallen in the Swiss Super League. His future as a trainer in German -speaking countries was considered promising, but it should be different: football countries became his new home for him. In the meantime, the coach has ended up with the 14-time Algerian champion Js Kabylie. In conversation with the transfer market, the 54-year-old reports on his extraordinary way.
“It takes a lot of courage to let go of the usual, supposedly safe and hug the new one.” A quote that Joe Zinnbauer attaches and in which there is a lot of true things in his eyes. “I think many people want to try something new today and don’t dare. It can be very simple. Most of the time, a single step helps to leave its comfort zone. I can assure life that life has many nice challenges and moments when you leave the comfort zone, ”says the trainer. The unknown abroad has become his home for ten years now.
The greatest courage was for the step in 2019 when he joined the South African cult association Orlando Pirates. With a smile, Zinnbauer remembers the hurdles in the early days: “Eleven languages are recognized in South Africa. There were players who could French or English and then there were players who said only Zulu or Afrikaans, according to their origin. At the same time, the players were members of different religions. The most important thing for me was to understand how important man leadership and leadership are during this time. How do I really pick up every single player and prevent a player from feeling too little valued? If you go abroad as a German trainer, those responsible are aware that you will change structures – but you will never change a culture. Accordingly, you have to adapt to the fact. “
With the nine-time South African national champion, the 54-year-old experienced a successful time, which was crowned by the winning of the South African MTN 8 cup. In retrospect, he is impressed by the enthusiasm for football and especially the derbies against the Kaizer Chiefs have remembered the best.
“Football in South Africa is pure emotion, that is identity and that is freedom. Most of the people in South Africa are very poor. Football is a refuge for people and a way out. This derby was celebrated. The stadiums burst at the seams, the cards are traded on the black market at incredible prices. You could offer half a million cards and they would still be sold within hours. What particularly inspired me were the incredible costumes that fans wore. With extremely much attention to detail. Bones were worn as a collar, when absolutely crazy hats were put on. One can clearly say that if the pirates play against the chiefs, there is a state of emergency in the city, ”says the former HSV coach.
Tin builder over time in South Africa: “The talent pool is huge”
But not only the derbies are of particular importance, but also the games in the African Champions League, which his team led to Angola, Botswana, Nigeria and Libya. “Every country has its own fan culture and that shows again why African football is so special. In Nigeria, for example, we were picked up by a military column and police officers were waiting in front of our hotel. Sometimes the paths to the individual stadiums were strange, we drove through huge slurry holes or through kilometers -long forests, ”recalls Zinnbauer.
The widespread thesis, South African young players, had an incredible talent, but the conditions did not allow better development to confirm: “The talent pool is huge, South Africa could be one of the dominating countries on the African continent. The only problem is that far too little is invested in the young area. The focus of those responsible for the association is usually only on the professional teams. Sure, the big clubs, such as Kaizer Chiefs, Pirates and Sundowns, go a different way, but the rest of the clubs don’t focus on the offspring so much. I am convinced that if you patiently build up according to the European model of NLZ, something very big could arise here. ”
Zinnbauer about criticism of Russia-job: Stop no longer conceivable today
In 2022, Zinnbauer went to Russia. A decision that has been criticized by many. While many Germans have withdrawn from Russia due to the Russian war of aggression, Zinnbauer switched to locomotive Moscow. “As a trainer, you sometimes make unpopular decisions. I am primarily a soccer coach and so I also selected the club at the time. I wanted the sporting challenge. Lokomotiv Moscow was a top European club at this time. Today, of course, I see a lot of things differently and would not go this step like that, ”he emphasizes.
In the end, the Schwandorfer -born remained in Moscow for only three months. In the meantime, Zinnbauer also received inquiries from Germany, but the attraction of the adventure predominated. So his path continued to Morocco to Raja Casablanca in 2023. One of the most successful clubs on the African continent, with over 20 national titles won and three times in the final for the African Champions League.
The fan culture there and especially the fan base enthusiastic tin builder from the first home game: “There are many fans who travel 40, 50, 60 kilometers on foot to be part of the games. These fans camp in front of the stadiums, foregoing food just to have money for the tickets. For me, this mood is one of the world’s best atmospheres. When the first drums set up, 90 minutes are sung, danced, hopped, you no longer understand your own word. You feel the pressure in the body that emanates from the mood. “
Zinnbauer in Morocco: “If you lose, you shouldn’t go outside”
The connection Raja and Zinnbauer should develop into an absolute success story. Under the native Schwandorfer, the green eagles only had to take one defeat in 41 games and ultimately won the double of the championship and national trophy.
“For the reason, the title party was emotional because the club has not become master for years. For two weeks, the fans celebrated somewhere in the city every day. We completed our last game of the season away and were received by thousands of fans at the airport. Our bus was only able to take a step pace. People came out of every alley and accompanied us, ”says Zinnbauer proudly, who also got to know the other side:“ Raja is like a draw of a defeat and once you lose you should not go outside. We only lost once during my time, but the defeat was enough for me. The bus needed police protection, we were thrown off with plastic bottles. You noticed that for the fans it is not just an association, but her life. ”
In Morocco he received special gifts from the fans after the championship won. In addition, a compliment packed him particularly emotionally: “I received pictures painted in oil from some fans. After our championship won, several players told me that I not only improved throughout sports, but also matured as a person, of course that touches you. ” Although it is said that football is the same everywhere, Zinnbauer was able to determine significant differences on his journey between the individual countries. The training methods and the training design, which he learned in Germany, cannot always be adapted to the conditions on site.
“As a trainer, you always have to be open to new things, but at the same time also respectfully deal with the players. During my time in Morocco I really came into contact with the Ramadan for the first time. At the beginning I thought: How should that work? How should we design reasonable training? After the conversations with the leaders, we put the training at 11 p.m. and I was actually surprised at the incredible energy and power with the players. I think without the tolerance and accepting conditions, I would have failed, ”reflects the coach.
Zinnbauer’s adventurous way: further to Algeria via Mecca
While he was able to leave the club with Raja, the subsequent station was a failure. For only twelve games, he was active on the sidelines for the Saudi first division club Al-Wehda FC, who is located in Mecca. “I would not call it failure because I could learn a lot about this league. The first top teams have conditions that are in no way inferior to the Bundesliga. Therefore I can understand anyone who dares to take this step. But that’s just one side of the medal. For example, we had to wait for our salaries for months. It is self -explanatory that the frustration has spread and the games ran accordingly. At the same time, we were only allowed to enter the city of Mecca on match days or during training times, could not live there and always had to commute to work, ”says the football teacher.
A few weeks ago, the step to Js Kabylie took place. An association that can have a great story. The club from the big city of Tizi Ouzou secured the Algerian championship 14 times. However, the highlights were the two -time profits of the Champions League. The engagements in the partly exotic foreign football country ensured that Zinnbauer acquired the reputation of the Globetrotter: “It is not the case that I don’t get any offers from Germany. I have had contact and inquiries from Germany again and again in the past. People keep asking me why I do this to myself, the answer is always the same: because I love football so much. I go through life much more cosmopolitan today. With the job I have the opportunity to see everything from the world. Get to know people, cultures, religions for whom you may otherwise need several lives. That’s why I’m just grateful for the chance and I’m happy. “
Text and interview: Henrik Stadnischenko
