Lions coach Jacobacci commits communication mistakes: Better to avoid the word "must"

Status: 21.09.2023, 10:04 a.m.

By: Johannes Ohr

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Lost four times recently: Maurizio Jacobacci © IMAGO/Bernd Feil/M.i.S.

They jumped off as twice victorious lions – and ended up as bedside rugs. TSV 1860 Munich recently conceded four bankruptcies in a row.

Munich – Coach Maurizio Jacobacci has identified a head problem with his players. In the Münchner Merkur, sports psychologist Matthias Herzog analyzes Jacobacci's crisis communication and says how TSV 1860 Munich can get off the couch as quickly as possible.

Examples one and two: "The team has to act responsibly," demanded Jacobacci after the 1-2 defeat in Ingolstadt and added during a joint visit to the Oktoberfest: "We will try to bend it together." For Herzog, this is a no-go: "I can only shake my head. There's always talk of having to." The word is synonymous with agony, effort and pressure – which most players today can no longer handle. "The coach decided to strengthen the team verbally. It's interesting how this is supposed to work with loser language and negative communication," says Herzog. His solution: "Communicate differently and say: We do and will! 'Must' creates great pressure, and 'trying' is doomed to failure. Either they do it or they don't."

Jacobacci formulates perseverance slogans and problem-oriented statements

Example three: "We have to stay positive" – that's how Jacobacci put it after the Ingolstadt game. "That sounds like a slogan of perseverance. And we're only at the beginning of the season," Herzog criticizes the choice of words. "What are you going to do when things get really tight?"

The lion needs momentum again – just like Jesper Verlaat. © Bernd Feil/M.i.S.

Example four: "It's a crisis of results, but not a crisis." – Quote from Jacobacci at the Oktoberfest. Herzog: "The statement is fundamentally correct, but the statement remains problem-oriented rather than solution-oriented."

Example five: "A mood like this can make a big difference," says Jacobacci, hoping for a psychological "Oktoberfest effect". Just right for Herzog: "That's good! Most players are in need of harmony. Such a joint visit to the Oktoberfest is a pleasure, and it is also important to develop it again in football."

And how will the Lions get off the couch as quickly as possible before Saturday's game in Halle? "It's best not to sit on the couch in the first place," says Herzog. "The coach is allowed to make the players aware of what they have done well. Flipping the switch in your head can be quick. We saw that with the national team." (Johannes Ohr)