In addition to being a top notch footballer, he was also a passionate coach.
Herbert “Tom” Sitter's paths crossed with football greats such as Mani Bender, Manuel Baum and Thomas Tuchel, among others.
Eichenried - His feeling for the ball has always been exceptional. Herbert "Tom" Sitter was feared as a footballer for his precise flanks, two-footed goals and especially the free kicks. As a football coach, he passed on his knowledge to players up to the 3rd league. What is extraordinary is: "I was never injured - and therefore nothing hurts me today."
Herbert Stefan Sitter grew up on Waldstrasse in Eichenried. Mama Anne runs the local post office there, father Stefan is the treasurer responsible for the goods in Zengermoos, Peterhof and Karlshof, which belong to the city of Munich. He is also chairman of FC Moosinning. “I started playing soccer in the school team when I was ten,” says Herbert Sitter. At FCM, of course, because SV Eichenried was not founded until a few years later. With the B-youth he becomes champion in the Munich group four years later. In the A-youth, the technically experienced midfielder can get a taste of the first team, which is trained by Otto Humplmair, with a special permit. At that time Moosinning played in the district league (5th division), Sitter still goes to school. After high school graduation,that he takes at the grammar school in Erding, "I first studied, but that was nothing". And so the Eichenrieder initially works for the state capital Munich.
As a footballer, he has to adjust to a different coach almost every season: Walter Wagenbauer, Dani Cudiz, a good specl from the Löwen goalkeeper legend Petar "Radi" Radenkovic, once again Otto Humplmair and finally Edi Sailer.
During this time Herbert Sitter becomes Tom Sitter.
"Back then, we all gave ourselves the nicknames of rock musicians," he says.
"And I called myself Tom, after Tom Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival." The name finally stuck to him.
“But not just me,” he says with a laugh.
"Werner Hiltmair, for example, is still called Doug today after CCR drummer Doug Clifford."
Played for the Upper Bavaria team under Paul Breitner
At this time, the Hans Huber Cup is held every year, in which the districts compete against each other.
Edi Sailer, who is employed by the Bavarian Football Association (BFV), is responsible for the coordination and supervision of the Upper Bavaria selection.
The selection trainer is Paul Breitner Sr., who is also a coach at ESV Freilassing.
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Once: Herbert Sitter at first communion.
© Private
"That was a great district league back then," Sitter remembers. Together with his FCM colleagues Martin Lanzinger and Toni Eschbaumer, he plays for Upper Bavaria. In the team, among others, the Freilassing ex-professional Hermann Lindner. The final against Lower Bavaria will take place in Erding. When the score is 1-0, Sitter lays the ball for a free kick. “Hermann Lindner said: 'Hit it and don't cut it again,'” Sitter remembers. "I cut him over the wall to make it 2-0 and said, laughing to Hermann: 'Jetz host as!'" Upper Bavaria wins 2-1 in the end.
As a supporting program for the Germany cycling tour with Didi Thurau, the Upper Bavaria team plays against a national league team in the Munich Olympic Stadium.
Midfield director Sitter leads his team to an unexpected 2-1 success.
On the side square of the Olympic Stadium, the Upper Bavarians go one better and a few weeks later beat the amateurs of FC Bayern, who play in the Bayernliga (3rd division), 4-2 - Sitter scores twice.
Ascent in front of 3000 spectators
And also with the FCM in 1980/81 things went perfectly in the district league. "Edi Sailer always said that we wanted to move up, and everyone just looked," recalls Sitter. "Edi was perhaps not that good in the tactical area, but he was optimistic, euphoric, positive and a king of motivation." An example is the point game at the competitor in Freilassing, "a prestige duel between the coaches Breitner and Sailer". Moosinning is shown for one half and it is only thanks to goalkeeper Martin Lanzinger that ESV is only 1-0 at half-time. Sailer swears the team in the break, the FCM wins 4: 3 - after three Sitter goals. "I'll never forget how Breitner sat in his coaching bench for a quarter of an hour after the game and stared into space, stunned",says the match winner with a laugh.
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District league champion 1981 and promoted to the state league: FC Moosinning with (back, from left) Robert Kroh, Sepp Huber, Georg Loher, Gerhard Mayer, Herbert Sitter, Karl Thumbs, Franz Eschbaumer, Charly Lehmer, (front, from left) supervisor Günter Thumbs, Richard Kroh, Werner Hiltmair, Eicke Lenz, Franz Lenz, Martin Lanzinger, Toni Eschbaumer, Horst Kroh, Rupert Lanzinger, supervisor Werner Hirner, trainer Edi Sailer.
© Private
FC Moosinning becomes champions, but has to go into the promotion round because there are only two direct promotion places for three district league champions. The FCM has to run against the top favorite TSV Eching and creates the sensation. "2: 1 in front of 3,000 spectators in Freising - unforgettable," enthuses Sitter. Rupert Lanzinger and Herbert Sitter score the goals. When things didn't go well for the newcomer in the regional league, Edi Sailer was replaced by Hans Humplmair, later followed by Dieter Brenninger.
There is a personal reason that Herbert Sitter is turning his back on FC Moosinning after three years in the regional league: his father Stefan is voted out of office as FCM chairman after almost two decades.
“That was really mean and outrageous,” complains son Herbert.
“He had announced that he wanted to do another two years because then there would be a club and a local anniversary that he had been looking forward to very much, and then they didn't allow him any more.” Herbert Sitter leaves the FCM: “Probably otherwise I would have stayed up to the AH. "
"I never thought that I would be a coach"
As it was, his sporting career took a turn.
“I never thought I'd be a coach,” he says.
Georg Karl and Hans Warzecha from SC Erding bring him as a player-coach to the C-class.
“There were a lot of specials that I knew from leaving, especially Richard Brandhuber.” Professionally, it's not a problem, as a sales representative at a Munich press sales office, he can manage his time well.
He doesn't stay long, the C-Class (8th division) is not his thing.
"That was no fun, do hams mi really down," says Sitter, who is moving to the B-Classist Grüne Heide Ismaning after Fischerhäuser, with some Moosinninger specs like Herbert Frank and "Doug" Hiltmair.
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Grumpy: Herbert Sitter as a young trainer.
© Konrad Kressierer
The Heidler rise confidently. Player-coach Herbert Sitter is the top scorer with 35 goals and takes the top scorer's crown a class higher with 25 goals in the following season. Green Heide is runner-up behind local rivals FC Ismaning, but is also promoted to the district league via relegation. The euphoria is great. “There was always a lot going on in the Heide, there was always a party,” recalls Sitter, “and the FCI players always came”. Sitter coached the team for five years, played less and less from the start and finally only took turns as a joker every now and then. He announces his departure.
Because things no longer run at FC Ismaning under player-coach Manfred Rauscher (“That was a great team, but the chemistry wasn't right”) and the FCI is relegated after a catastrophic second half, Sitter is brought to the FCI by the board duo Helmut Horst and Max Eisenreich and stands with a completely reorganized team in second place during the winter break. But then for Sitter "a serious disappointment" follows, as he says. Toni Plattner, uncle of the Leitl brothers Rainer, Wolfgang, Christian, Jürgen and Stefan from Ismaning, is released in Ingolstadt. "He brought goalkeeper Mike Probst and a couple of Leitl boys with him, and I was already dismissed." However, there is a generous severance payment from the FCI. “Actually, I wanted to fly off the money with my girlfriend at the time on vacation when Wast Wurm called me,” says Sitter.The manager of FC Falke Markt Schwaben needs a coach because the team in the regional league is on a relegation zone and coach Walter Simmelbauer has been sacked.
In the Bayern League against FC Augsburg and TSV 1860 II
He took over the Falken in February 1992. "There were exceptional players in the team like Hermann Knaller, Romeo Pinto, Markus Aigner, the Schiwietz brothers or Cedo Gospic, who was far too good for this league." march through to the Bayernliga (3rd league), "because that was an incredible cohesion in the troops". Suddenly the opponents are FC Ingolstadt, FC Augsburg and TSV 1860 Munich 2. What nobody believes: Falke holds the league. The game against the Löwen will not be forgotten, "when they pushed us in for 90 minutes and we made it 1-0 shortly before the end," recalls Sitter. "But then suddenly I was no longer wanted," he says. Franz Schick takes over for the second half of 2003 - and is relegated to the regional league.Today the falcons kick in the district class (9th league).
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But Sitter is well connected in coaching circles.
He gets a call from Willi Bierofka, who stops at the (meanwhile) Bayern league club FC Ismaning.
"That would be your thing, you know your way around the Bayern League," he says.
“I had already agreed to join the national league team in Eching,” recalls Eichenrieder.
"But the people from Echinger showed great understanding that I can train practically on the doorstep and released me from my word."
Again he has to put together a new team, goalkeeper and captain Manuel Baum.
It's good that he has been in regular contact with the youth coordinator of TSV 1860 Munich, Ernst Tanner, who has repeatedly recommended players who fall through the grid with the lions.
FCI manager Hans Blößl still hires ex-Bayern professional Mani Bender.
“A great guy, perfect on the ball, his corners and free kicks were awesome - an absolute asset to the team,” recalls Sitter.
"And when you were out with him in Munich, they rolled out the red carpet for you everywhere, as if he was still playing for Bayern."
"Sorry, coach, but I was in custody"
Coach colleague Ludwig Trifellner sends him Tobi Schweinsteiger.
“I wasn't that enthusiastic about it at the beginning during training,” emphasizes Sitter.
"Then I came on him in a test match against Bayern 2, and then he scored three goals." Bayern star Basti Schweinsteiger's brother is not too good for any special training and works with the coach on his weaknesses.
"That was mainly his left foot," says Sitter, who was particularly pleased when Tobi Schweinsteiger years later sent him a photo with the dedication: "I owe you a lot."
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Committed: Herbert Sitter - here as coach of the BCF Wolfratshausen - is angry.
© MM archive
In the 2006/07 season things are no longer running at FCI, and Sitter has to leave in the third Bayern League year. He will be replaced by ex-Löwentorjäger Bernhard Winkler - who throws in the towel again after 50 days in the coaching bench. The Eichenrieder goes to the regional division BCF Wolfratshausen for three years. "I felt very comfortable there, the people were really nice and had a great mentality," he remembers. He especially thinks back to the point games against FC Augsburg 2: Thomas Tuchel is the coach there. "But in the end, Wolfratshausen was too time-consuming to drive, you are still a mile from Eichenried," said Sitter, explaining his departure in 2009.
After an offer from Türk Gücü Munich (as the successor to Werner Lorant), “which couldn't be surpassed in terms of ridiculousness”, a season at the regional league club FSV Harthof follows: “A funny year.” His funniest experience is when one of his kickers does not go to the Spiel appears and apologizes during Tuesday training with the words: "Sorry, coach, but I was in custody."
From head coach to disco chef
As a coach, he will help out again at home in Eichenried in the 2012/13 season at the request of Silvia Kuhmann.
“That was practical because I basically just had to walk across the street,” he says.
But after there were quarrels and Kuhmann threw down, Sitter retires during the winter break, although the SVE is in third place in the district class: "There was just too much unrest in the club."
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Now: Herbert "Tom" Sitter in the summer garden, which he - like Weekend and Kennedy - has leased.
© Wolfgang Krzizok
Professionally, Sitter ends up in a completely different profession - gastronomy.
He takes over the Dos Santos disco in Erdingen, which will later become a penthouse, “and wherever many footballers have come.
It was like a living room ”.
He is now the leaseholder of the weekend in Erding, as well as the summer garden and the Kennedy bar, which he has sublet, however.
He's finished with football, with a special record.
"I never got down," he notes and adds with a wink.
"I always left before." Was he really never hurt?
“Yes, once - almost,” says Herbert “Tom” Sitter.
“That was at Falke, when we did an endurance run in preparation and I hadn't really warmed up.
I felt a sting in the calf and realized that it could be a strain.
I ended the run right away. "And he adds with a laugh:" You just have to know when to stop. "
Wolfgang Krzizok
You can find more portraits and interviews from our Erdings Top 100 series on our overview page.
