Every game at Old Trafford is a highlight for Bastian Schweinsteiger, so the next one comes tonight for Germany’s captain, whose new club Manchester United welcome Club Brugge for the first leg of the Champions League playoff (20:45 CEST). Schweinsteiger wants to start a new era at Man United, and for this, qualification for the group stages of the Champions League is imperative. DFB.de puts the spotlight on tonight’s game and Schweinsteiger’s new life in the UK.
Louis van Gaal is a unique manager, a unique person with a unique character. Even in his time at FC Bayern, in the years 2009-2011, he astonished the general public with characteristics that from the perspective of your average German citizen appeared quite bizarre. A popular and commonly quoted fact – which revealed itself after an insight into his personal life – is that the Dutch coach demands that his own daughters address him with the formal version of the word “you” in Dutch, which is otherwise unheard of in European countries. The Dutch coach should therefore be pleased that he is not an English coach, as this would have been impossible to demand in the English language, even for van Gaal.
Van Gaal is no English manager, but a manager in England he remains. The Manchester United boss is now in his second year in charge, but even in Manchester, the 64-year-old has shown his peculiarity. It’s hardly surprising, therefore, that his communications were of an odd nature upon the recent arrival of a former acquaintance of his from his days in Munich: Bastian Schweinsteiger. The World Cup winner is the most prominent feature of the “Red Devils”. With Germany’s captain in Manchester, there are hopes for new glory days and titles.
In Munich, lots were surprised that Schweinsteiger chose England of all places to move to. The 31-year-old likes the sun, he likes the ocean, he likes the mountains and he likes to sit in cafes: all attributes and food preferences which one would not necessarily associate with the northern city of Manchester. Yet Schweinsteiger chose this, despite having several other options. That has a lot to do with the Dutch coach, even more with the stature, values, traditions and aspirations of the club, and probably mostly to do with Schweinsteiger’s character. This, for one, is how Germany’s manager sees it. "It speaks for his ambition and his character that Bastian has taken this uncomfortable route," says Joachim Löw.
As captain of the Germany national side, he bears the team in mind with every decision he makes. "Having such a huge challenge ahead of me at Manchester United can only have a good effect on me," he said in an interview with Bild. "My first season in England will be a huge help for me. I'm convinced that my experience at Manchester United will make me stronger and more valuable for Germany."
The national team was one aspect of his decision to join Manchester United, but another was the manager there. "When you know how a manager likes to work and how he likes to play football, it makes the decision a lot easier," says Schweinsteiger. He and van Gaal hold each other in high esteem following their time together at Bayern München. Even since van Gaal's departure from Munich, the two have stayed in contact – rumours have surfaced on more than one occasion that van Gaal wanted to bring the German captain to his new team. When the two eventually reunited, Schweinsteiger's arrival was greeted in a somewhat more toned-down manner than their shared past and mutual respect for each other would have led to believe. Schweinsteiger shared with Bild what van Gaal said to greet him. "Good day," to be precise. So far, so good. What is more surprising is that no conversation followed this introduction – van Gaal said nothing more, Schweinsteiger recalls.
The greeting was slightly cold, but Schweinsteiger didn't for one moment doubt van Gaal's admiration for him. He knows the coach and knows what he means. "He has his own very direct style. It defines him. He's like an army general, but he has a very big heart." For those on the outside, it can seem hard to get used to, but for those accustomed to it, it's not a problem. This pattern is evident in many anecdotes about van Gaal. Above all, the communication between manager and player is different to what most people expect. When a player moves abroad, language is one of the greatest challenges. In order to integrate, one must be able to communicate. And in order to communicate, one must master the language. Schweinsteiger’s English is formidable rather than simply competent – nevertheless, his mother tongue is Bavarian, and Bavarian is far from removed from English. With his German-speaking manager however, he still speaks English. He says, "it may sound strange, but we speak predominantly English with each other, even in private."
Schweinsteiger has settled in well in Manchester, and everything that was new four weeks ago is now familiar. The German feels real unity with the club, and much earlier than he expected. The fans of his new club are the reason for this. "It was a big surprise for me, how warm hearted and enthusiastic the fans were when greeting me during the first game at Old Trafford. Even at the warm-up before I got on, the fans were on their feet, applauding - I had goose bumps," explained Schweinsteiger. He got a taste for it. "It makes me more hungry for success. Straight after the game, I thought how excited I was for the next match."
Every game at Old Trafford is a highlight for Bastian Schweinsteiger, so the next one comes tonight for Germany’s captain, whose new club Manchester United welcome Club Brugge for the first leg of the Champions League playoff (20:45 CEST). Schweinsteiger wants to start a new era at Man United, and for this, qualification for the group stages of the Champions League is imperative. DFB.de puts the spotlight on tonight’s game and Schweinsteiger’s new life in the UK.
Louis van Gaal is a unique manager, a unique person with a unique character. Even in his time at FC Bayern, in the years 2009-2011, he astonished the general public with characteristics that from the perspective of your average German citizen appeared quite bizarre. A popular and commonly quoted fact – which revealed itself after an insight into his personal life – is that the Dutch coach demands that his own daughters address him with the formal version of the word “you” in Dutch, which is otherwise unheard of in European countries. The Dutch coach should therefore be pleased that he is not an English coach, as this would have been impossible to demand in the English language, even for van Gaal.
Van Gaal is no English manager, but a manager in England he remains. The Manchester United boss is now in his second year in charge, but even in Manchester, the 64-year-old has shown his peculiarity. It’s hardly surprising, therefore, that his communications were of an odd nature upon the recent arrival of a former acquaintance of his from his days in Munich: Bastian Schweinsteiger. The World Cup winner is the most prominent feature of the “Red Devils”. With Germany’s captain in Manchester, there are hopes for new glory days and titles.
In Munich, lots were surprised that Schweinsteiger chose England of all places to move to. The 31-year-old likes the sun, he likes the ocean, he likes the mountains and he likes to sit in cafes: all attributes and food preferences which one would not necessarily associate with the northern city of Manchester. Yet Schweinsteiger chose this, despite having several other options. That has a lot to do with the Dutch coach, even more with the stature, values, traditions and aspirations of the club, and probably mostly to do with Schweinsteiger’s character. This, for one, is how Germany’s manager sees it. "It speaks for his ambition and his character that Bastian has taken this uncomfortable route," says Joachim Löw.
As captain of the Germany national side, he bears the team in mind with every decision he makes. "Having such a huge challenge ahead of me at Manchester United can only have a good effect on me," he said in an interview with Bild. "My first season in England will be a huge help for me. I'm convinced that my experience at Manchester United will make me stronger and more valuable for Germany."
The national team was one aspect of his decision to join Manchester United, but another was the manager there. "When you know how a manager likes to work and how he likes to play football, it makes the decision a lot easier," says Schweinsteiger. He and van Gaal hold each other in high esteem following their time together at Bayern München. Even since van Gaal's departure from Munich, the two have stayed in contact – rumours have surfaced on more than one occasion that van Gaal wanted to bring the German captain to his new team. When the two eventually reunited, Schweinsteiger's arrival was greeted in a somewhat more toned-down manner than their shared past and mutual respect for each other would have led to believe. Schweinsteiger shared with Bild what van Gaal said to greet him. "Good day," to be precise. So far, so good. What is more surprising is that no conversation followed this introduction – van Gaal said nothing more, Schweinsteiger recalls.
The greeting was slightly cold, but Schweinsteiger didn't for one moment doubt van Gaal's admiration for him. He knows the coach and knows what he means. "He has his own very direct style. It defines him. He's like an army general, but he has a very big heart." For those on the outside, it can seem hard to get used to, but for those accustomed to it, it's not a problem. This pattern is evident in many anecdotes about van Gaal. Above all, the communication between manager and player is different to what most people expect. When a player moves abroad, language is one of the greatest challenges. In order to integrate, one must be able to communicate. And in order to communicate, one must master the language. Schweinsteiger’s English is formidable rather than simply competent – nevertheless, his mother tongue is Bavarian, and Bavarian is far from removed from English. With his German-speaking manager however, he still speaks English. He says, "it may sound strange, but we speak predominantly English with each other, even in private."
Schweinsteiger has settled in well in Manchester, and everything that was new four weeks ago is now familiar. The German feels real unity with the club, and much earlier than he expected. The fans of his new club are the reason for this. "It was a big surprise for me, how warm hearted and enthusiastic the fans were when greeting me during the first game at Old Trafford. Even at the warm-up before I got on, the fans were on their feet, applauding - I had goose bumps," explained Schweinsteiger. He got a taste for it. "It makes me more hungry for success. Straight after the game, I thought how excited I was for the next match."
He is fortunate then that van Gaal’s first season at Manchester United saw the team finish fourth, as he will have the opportunity to play Club Brugge in the Champions League playoffs. There’s no doubt that the match against the Belgians should end with a Manchester United win. Schweinsteiger wrote on Facebook, "After the successful start to the premier league, we will try our utmost to qualify for the Champions League. In the first leg we want to give ourselves a platform for the second leg." He spoke to Bild too, saying "I can promise that I will try as hard as I can to use my experience to get us to the level of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern. I am convinced that, under van Gaal, it will be possible for Manchester United to enter an era of success.
