Hermann Gerland, youth coach at Bayern for 25 years, was also involved as a co-coach with the professionals, like here before the Champions League victory under Hansi Flick in August 2020. At the World Cup in Qatar, Gerland is part of the staff of national coach Flick.
Image: dpa
Hermann Gerland left FC Bayern in the summer of 2021. In the following excerpt from his autobiography, he reveals how it all really began with the world careers of Müller, Lahm and Schweinsteiger.
In all my years in Munich, I only had three out of hundreds of youth players who I knew straight away that they would make it, they would become Bundesliga professionals at FC Bayern. That was Didi Hamann, David Alaba and Philipp Lahm. Most of the others weren’t immediately predictable as to what would become of them. Not even with Thomas Müller, who has perhaps had the most amazing career of all.
But even then I fought for him to stay. Jürgen Klinsmann, coach at the time, didn’t want him. And Ralf Rangnick, leader of the standings with Hoffenheim who have just been promoted, already had Thomas in his sights. So I went up to Uli Hoeneß. “He stays here,” I said.
