Changed signs

Michael Schütz had imagined it differently.

When he accepted his coaching position at the district division, he had a very interesting group together.

Eching

- October 2020, eight months ago, TSV Eching played its last league game - as the table leader of the District League North. That Michael Schütz would succeed Gerhard Lösch as a trainer, it was clear at this point that the outgoing coach would be followed by five top performers at FSV Pfaffenhofen, not. Overnight, the zebras went from a potential promoter to the national league to a team that will have to fight to stay up in the upcoming district league season. “That's hardcore,” says Schütz. He's been training with his team for a week.

Schütz was introduced as Lösch's successor in March 2020 and should take over the team in the summer. But first he had to be patient. The corona-related extension of the season, which was then canceled, extended his waiting time by one year. Now he is motivated, even if the conditions have changed fundamentally. Eching missed promotion to the regional league because Schwaig had the better point quotient. Then there were the five serious departures. Schütz is still motivated - maybe also because he is facing a challenge as a coach.

The current situation is uncharted territory for every amateur coach.

The players usually do not have a break of eight months.

Schütz uses a short build-up phase before starting the actual preparation.

“Since we've been allowed to train, we've been on the field once or twice a week.

It is important that everyone gets used to the feeling of having a ball on their feet, ”said the 51-year-old.

For the actual preparation, he will fall back on tried and tested models: “We will then train three or four times a week.” The trainer determines the exact start when the association publishes the game plan.

“Normal preparation should take five or six weeks,” says Schütz.

New co-player-coach a godsend

His experience and sensitivity will be in demand this summer. “Many only did endurance runs, football-specific movements are actually only possible on the pitch. The musculature cannot be that developed yet and the risk of injury will be enormous, ”thinks Schütz. It's good that the Echinger team have a physiotherapist that players with minor injuries can turn to. “I will speak to him one hundred percent. But I'm responsible for the dosage of the training, ”says Schütz.

He can also coordinate with Alexander Günther. At Echinger's new co-player-coach, everything also revolves around football professionally. The 32-year-old works in the soccer school of FC Ingolstadt in the field of coaching and remedial training. Before he ended his active career as a regular at TSV Neudrossenfeld (Landesliga Nordost) in 2018, he played for SpVgg Bayreuth in the Bayernliga, among others. Fabian Goldstein, Eching's soccer department head, describes the newcomer as a "stroke of luck". “He practically ran to us. Alexander moved to Dietersheim, saw the club and the facility and made contact, ”says Goldstein. Günther should pull the strings on the six and lead the team with his experience.

The club does not want to talk about further additions yet.

“We'll give out the names when all the accesses are fixed.

That will happen shortly, ”says Goldstein.

Goldstein makes no secret of the fact that the club cannot equally replace the departures of Captain Thomas Niggl, Philipp Schuler, Maxi Ceballos, Maximilian Völke and Ante Basic.

"It's going to be a tough season." Coach Schütz knows that too: "They're not just any players, they're absolute top performers."

Refraining from a training camp

For Schütz, preparation is about getting an overview.

He has to decide who will take the place of the departures.

And he has to ensure that the accesses are integrated quickly.

He does without a training camp or a training weekend with several units and overnight stays on the facility.

"I used to do this with my teams more often, but this year we won't do anything with an overnight stay together," says Schütz.

A lot is different in these times.

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Also read: SVA Palzing: The team spirit always plays a part | District of Freising (merkur.de)