As of: February 8, 2024, 9:52 a.m
By: Uli Kellner
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Sports director Christian Werner and 1860 reporter Uli Kellner in an interview.
© Sampics
Christian Werner is the sports director at TSV 1860. He wants to develop the club sustainably.
The interview also talks about his transfers.
Munich – As a career changer to one of the most dangerous chairs in the 3rd league.
Dr.
Christian Werner, a self-confessed football nerd and doctor of sports science, has been sports director at TSV 1860 since January 5th. Our newspaper spoke to the 42-year-old.
Mr. Werner, how do you feel as an old hand in the sports management of TSV 1860?
Old hand, he's good (laughs).
“I experienced more in those few weeks than other people have experienced in two years.”
Christian Werner, sports director of TSV 1860, about his first weeks in Munich.
You officially started on January 5th. After you came the new head coach - and most recently a new commercial director...
It's true: in the few weeks I've been here, I've experienced more than other people have in two years.
I'm passionate about the task - and really want to develop the club.
Until it was clear that you would actually get the job, you had to show perseverance. You had already been working “pro bono” since late summer. Is this persistence a character trait of yours?
For sure.
We have already had very good discussions for a long time.
The exchange was very productive, of course.
And I found the task extremely appealing from day one.
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The tension between the shareholders, who initially argued for six months as to whether they would be a simple sports director or a managing director with more extensive competencies, didn't put you off?
No.
Because I am firmly convinced that the lions can be developed further with good and calm technical work.
1860 is challenging, no question.
It's definitely not an easy station, but that was clear to me from the start.
Although you haven't had that many positions in professional football yet. You are actually a teacher with a sports science background.
Correctly.
At the same time, you gained experience in the football business. As sports director at the Oberliga club SGV Freiberg, with whom you were promoted, at Lustenau in Austria - and as chief scout at Waldhof Mannheim. Was it always your dream to take on a leading role in professional football somewhere?
I'm still one of those people who really see football as a passion.
I was a goalkeeper in my hometown of Hesse (at FSV Fernwald/Red.), but back then the top league was the end of the line.
When I was 19, I realized that I wasn't going to make it to the professional level as a player.
Accordingly, I knew early on that if I got the chance to work in football again, I would definitely want to take advantage of it.
Classic kicker special issue socialization?
(laughs) Something like that.
When I drive, I listen to a football podcast.
When I come home there is football on.
And this deep, intrinsic love for football is the driving force behind my actions.
Hence the image of the football nerd who knows everyone in every village club - from the groundskeeper to the inverted left winger?
I hope that the process of creating this image is not yet complete.
I don't see myself as a nerd, more as a sober clerk.
This simply includes knowing all the markets that are relevant to my job – and also the players there.
“The whole thing is not just a Christian Werner project, but rather a team task.”
Christian Werner about the transfers from TSV 1860 Munich.
Let's take the four newcomers you brought to the Lions shortly before the deadline on Thursday. How did you prepare these transfers?
Very in-depth.
Scouting isn't just about knowing: How can someone kick?
Equally important is: what makes him tick as a person?
Can he take on leadership roles?
I looked very closely at each player.
But the whole thing is not just a Christian Werner project, but rather a team task.
Jürgen Jung and his scouting department are doing an excellent job.
And we have a trainer who puts a lot of passion into the content here.
And you seem to have a penchant for fast players, as you could tell from the press releases about the 1860 newcomers.
We looked at our squad and asked ourselves: Okay, what are we missing?
Point one: The game we want to play requires speed.
Point two: We didn't have that pace in the squad.
Speed is non-negotiable in professional football.
So will the Lions run every opponent to the ground in the future?
I believe that in the long term it is important that 1860 defines for itself what kind of football it should play.
To put it bluntly: a lion football with recognition value.
Our DNA should be clearly visible in the game.
This is the basis of our future direction.
We also selected the coach and players to match this.
Wanting to free yourself from the relegation battle in terms of football is a courageous decision. Are there any prominent examples that you use as a guide?
There certainly are.
But it's much simpler: just knocking out balls doesn't guarantee success;
It's about bringing what quality the team has onto the pitch.
We're not close to the end of the season - and there's no point in rushing to do anything.
We were in a situation where we had a complete half-series ahead of us - and therefore enough time for a development process.
We know that this team has a lot of quality - and that a harakiri decision was therefore not necessary.
“Eliot is so motivated that if necessary he would have walked from Nuremberg to Grünwalder Straße.”
Christian Werner on 1860 newcomer Eliot Muteba.
Let's go through the new players one by one. Will Max Reinthaler be the new Jesper Verlaat if the captain leaves ship in the summer?
No, it is our clear intention to extend the contract with Jesper Verlaat.
We rely on continuity in the defensive network.
We are already in a good exchange.
We need the high quality of both players.
The 1860 newcomers Abdenego Nankishi, Serhat-Semih Güler and Max Reinthaler.
© Wagner
Then the two fast German-Angolan wingers. Thesis on your mind games: Werder loanee Abdenego Nankiski will spin on the left flank until the summer - after that Eliot Muteba will take over, who will conveniently be trained straight away?
Both are versatile players - you can also put them on the pitch together.
But basically it's like this: you won't be able to keep loan players with a high quality like Nankishi in the 3rd league for long - there is a market for him, including from other leagues.
We really wanted Muteba and we were on him for the longest time.
Eliot is so motivated for the lions that if necessary he would have walked from Nuremberg to Grünwalder Strasse.
Rostock striker Serhat-Semih Güler was probably one of the most difficult transfers. Everyone is looking for a nine.
We have dealt with many strikers in the German and neighboring markets.
With Güler it was only by chance that we got the chance to sign him permanently.
We were persistent and Rostock complied with his urgent wish to make the move to us a reality.
I would like to thank you very much for that.
In general, all the clubs that donated were very cooperative.
Güler also represents the new direction, can play aggressive pressing and works consistently against the ball. He is certainly one of the quick nines in the 3rd league.
A quick turn to the tiresome club politics: Marc-Nicolai Pfeifer, who suggested you at 1860, was dismissed as commercial director on Friday. Are you at peace with him?
Yes that's me.
I really appreciated working with him both professionally and personally.
He put a lot of heart and soul into the January transfers.
“We are fighting with six or seven clubs to stay in the third division.”
Christian Werner about the short-term goals at TSV 1860 Munich.
His successor is Oliver Mueller. How well do you already know each other?
We met on Friday.
It's not just the Pfeifer example that shows that in 1860 it can be dangerous to allow too much proximity to one of the two shareholders. How do you deal with that?
As managing director, I have a clear task and I fulfill it as best as I can every day.
Some things about 1860 are certainly challenging;
on the other hand, I appreciate the lively environment and the strong interest that so many different people have in the club.
What's in the short to medium term with 1860?
We are currently fighting with six or seven clubs to stay in the third division.
We will then discuss with the shareholders where the journey will take us once we have reached our goal.
The first thing now is to make it clear that we will stay in the league as quickly as possible.
(Interview: Uli Kellner)