Legendary angry speech: On the way back from Italy, Trapattoni played through his performance

Giovanni Trapattoni turned on the car radio and thought about the past few days. On Sunday, the 0-1 draw at Schalke 04. The images of that evening came back when he drove onto the autobahn and didn’t have to concentrate so much on the traffic anymore. The sneering Schalke fans, the intrusive questions from the journalists, the ride in the team bus from the Parkstadion and the banquet in the Sheraton Hotel in Essen.

Once again he tried to remember the words he had said, no, shouted in front of the assembled crew. He’d stood at the table for the coaching staff and club management, swearing, gesturing with his hands as he always did when he was upset, and knocking over a bottle of red wine. After the players went to their rooms, he talked to assistant coach Egon Coordes and manager Uli Hoeneß for a while. When they left the conference room, a stained tablecloth was left behind. And an empty bottle.