Kauczinski: My enthusiasm, my passion and my joy at leading a group of players have remained the same. However, the way I work with players and my demeanour have changed. Before I used to get much more involved, now I oversee many more things and I use my experience to ask myself: where should I get involved here? Where do I maybe have to step back a little? In terms of systems, tactics and formations I’ve become much more methodical and observant. Before I used to rely on my gut feeling a lot more and I was a lot more impulsive. Through working with the first team I’ve only become more concentrated on each day, on each match.
DFB.de: What experience have you drawn from your many years working with youth players? What have you learnt from that?
Kauczinski: That there’s a way of connecting with everyone. That it’s worth going against someone and approaching others. That a team is stronger than the sum of its parts. That well-practiced processes and security is important.
DFB.de: You became a coach very early and didn’t get any experience playing professional football. Have you ever had the feeling that you’re maybe lacking something as a coach?
Kauczinski: No, not at all. I’ve never had that feeling. People love to bang on about how you only know how you feel in certain situations if you’ve played the game. But I think that’s exactly one of my strengths – that I empathise more with players and that I can put myself in their shoes, as players but also as people.
DFB.de: After 15 years, your time at Karlsruher SC will come to an end this summer. What are thoughts on your goodbye and the time after: uncertainty? Excitement? A bit of fear?
Kauczinski: Definitely no fear. It’s been my own decision right from the start. It’ll be quite hard to let go, and I’ll certainly miss a few things – but at the same time I’m looking forward to the path ahead of me. Where that’ll take me, I don’t yet know. At the moment I’m much too focussed on my work here to really think about my goodbye.
One of his predecessors has the chance to win gold with the Germany U21s at this summer’s Olympic Games. Another is leading Borussia Dortmund to a return to the Champions League, and possibly even to the Europa League trophy. Karlsruher SC head coach Markus Kauczinski was awarded the DFB Coach of the Year, along with its €10,000 in prize money, on Wednesday evening, and so joins a list of previous winners that include Horst Hrubesch and Thomas Tuchel.
It’s been 15 years since Kauczinski began working at Karlsruher SC. The Gelsenkirchen-born coach, who had previously worked for two years at Schalke’s academy, has worked with every age group at KSC: U16, U17, U19, U23, and from March 2012 the first team. Kauczinski led the reserves to promotion to the Bundesliga, as well as winning the 3. Liga with the first team, taking them up into the second division. Last season, Kauczinski led his side to the promotion play-off, where they were narrowly seen off by HSV.
Kauczinski (46) sat down with DFB.de to discuss the Coach of the Year award, his way of dealing with players, spoilt talents, and how he has changed over the last 20 years.
DFB.de: Mr. Kauczinski, what’s the biggest achievement for a head coach: to work with younger players and therefore help develop them as people, or to work with more experienced players and try to teach them some new tricks?
Markus Kauczinski: Both are very appealing, and both are a lot of fun. To be honest, I treat all players the same – age isn’t so much of a factor. The most important thing for me as a head coach is to be fair and honest. Obviously I speak to different players in different ways, but that’s got nothing to do with age, rather with their education, where they are in their life, and other factors. The only difference I have seen between younger and older players in my time is that I come to expect more from the older players in some situations. Despite that, everyone makes mistakes.
DFB.de: Above all, this award is for your excellent work with young players and the way you bring through new talents. Is that how you see it too?
Kauczinski: If you’re referring to all my work as a coach thus far, then yes.
DFB.de: How did it feel when you found out you had won the award?
Kauczinski: At first I thought it might have been a joke. I consider the job that I do to be something completely normal – therefore I was quite surprised and I certainly didn’t think ‘Oh, about time too’ (laughs). This award is something special for me, in every sense.
DFB.de: It’s often discussed whether younger players who have broken into the first team are too comfortable. As someone with huge experience in this area, what’s your opinion?
Kauczinski: It’s something I’ve read a few times, and I’ve thought a lot about it – and overall, I don’t like that general statement. Of course, lots of young players are led to believe that they’ll be first-teamers soon and that they’re something special – there are some players who just live for the moment and think their talent will see them through. On the other hand, I know a huge number of young talents who are very critical of themselves, who keep asking themselves where they can be better and who know the importance of doing that. The growing professionalism in academies is something much more preferable to talk about.
DFB.de: In what way?
Kauczinski: The players are better educated, and they are at a higher level at an earlier point in their careers. On the other hand, sometimes I see a bit of burnout – the increased pressure to perform can really take its toll on players, so they’re burnt out before their careers even get going. I’m on the fence on this subject – there aren’t just positives and there aren’t just negatives.
DFB.de: Four years ago, you had just become head coach of Karlsruher SC and you said in an interview with DFB.de: “Whether first-teamers or youth players, training and competitive matches aren’t much different”. Would you still stand by this statement today?
Kauczinski: Yes, in principle. Obviously things move a little slower in terms of strength and conditioning when you’re working with academy players, but the principles and methods are similar. Of course, head coaches also change and develop too – when I think of what I was like 20 years ago, it’s like a different world. It’s like I’m looking at a completely different person than I am today.
DFB.de: Could you be a bit more specific? What exactly are the most important differences?
Kauczinski: My enthusiasm, my passion and my joy at leading a group of players have remained the same. However, the way I work with players and my demeanour have changed. Before I used to get much more involved, now I oversee many more things and I use my experience to ask myself: where should I get involved here? Where do I maybe have to step back a little? In terms of systems, tactics and formations I’ve become much more methodical and observant. Before I used to rely on my gut feeling a lot more and I was a lot more impulsive. Through working with the first team I’ve only become more concentrated on each day, on each match.
DFB.de: What experience have you drawn from your many years working with youth players? What have you learnt from that?
Kauczinski: That there’s a way of connecting with everyone. That it’s worth going against someone and approaching others. That a team is stronger than the sum of its parts. That well-practiced processes and security is important.
DFB.de: You became a coach very early and didn’t get any experience playing professional football. Have you ever had the feeling that you’re maybe lacking something as a coach?
Kauczinski: No, not at all. I’ve never had that feeling. People love to bang on about how you only know how you feel in certain situations if you’ve played the game. But I think that’s exactly one of my strengths – that I empathise more with players and that I can put myself in their shoes, as players but also as people.
DFB.de: After 15 years, your time at Karlsruher SC will come to an end this summer. What are thoughts on your goodbye and the time after: uncertainty? Excitement? A bit of fear?
Kauczinski: Definitely no fear. It’s been my own decision right from the start. It’ll be quite hard to let go, and I’ll certainly miss a few things – but at the same time I’m looking forward to the path ahead of me. Where that’ll take me, I don’t yet know. At the moment I’m much too focussed on my work here to really think about my goodbye.
