DMost football professionals become famous through goals, triumphs or tears. He through a video on which he cannot be seen at all: 30-year-old Shawn Parker played at Mainz 05 under Thomas Tuchel from 2012 to 2014. A training video in which the striker is mercilessly squeezed by the coach is still a hit on social media and has been clicked millions of times. Before Tuchel’s return to Mainz as Bayern Munich coach, his most famous “victim” spoke about the Munich coach. Parker himself ended his career at SpVgg Greuther Fürth in January 2020.
Ask: How did it feel to be folded up like that?
Shawn Parker: Of course I didn’t feel good at that moment, I was 21 years old. But now I can laugh about it. Football is not a kindergarten, there are not only beautiful moments.
Ask: How often are you asked about the video?
Parker: Very often. My friends like to joke about it. I also notice how many people even know the video by heart.
Ask: Was Tuchel right? One of his allegations was, “Everyone plays the ball deep, but you have a better idea…”
Parker: I was a free spirit then as now, especially on the pitch. I didn’t always do that or play the pass that everyone expects. In my creativity I sometimes made wrong decisions. Then there’s just the lid. In retrospect, I understood the whole thing better.
Ask: In what way?
Parker: Coaches want to wake up teams at certain moments, something like this doesn’t just happen with Thomas Tuchel. Other trainers have this fire too. A Steffen Baumgart will also make such announcements in Cologne. But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
Ask: Was there such a shit more often?
Parker: It was unique in form. There were always clear announcements. But it wasn’t like I walked in in the morning and he yelled at me. There was also a lot of praise, for example when he explained in a video session when I behaved well. But of course nobody sees that (laughs).
On May 6, 2014, Parker was not the only one who received an announcement from Tuchel. The coach called out to today’s Mainz defense boss Stefan Bell (31): “That’s your third bad pass in the build-up game!” show that too!”
It was a crucial week for Mainz, four days later it was against HSV for a place in the qualification for the Europa League. Mainz won 3-2, came to Europe – and Tuchel announced his retirement after the game. He took a year off and took over Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2015.
Ask: At the time of the video, did you realize that this would be the last week of training under Tuchel?
Parker: No. He only announced his departure at the closing ceremony after the last game of the season, which came as a surprise.
Ask: Was Tuchel the best coach you’ve ever had?
Parker: Yes. He shaped me the most, I had the most successful time under him in Mainz. Such announcements as in the video also had a reason.
Ask: Which?
Parker: In Mainz we weren’t the best individual players when I was there. We only functioned as a collective. You were also allowed to be creative, but everyone had to fulfill their tasks. He wanted to sensitize you to that. Otherwise we wouldn’t have made it into the Europa League.
Ask: What distinguished him?
Parker: He had an answer for every situation and every opponent and a suitable target. We often looked at each other afterwards and said: That’s awesome, it works exactly as he says it does. With that he wins you over and you have security on the pitch.
Ask: Tuchel returns with Bayern at the weekend: Has he changed?
Parker: He has matured, I have the impression that he reacts to situations more calmly and patiently than before.
The interview was managed for the sports competence center (WELT, SPORT BILD, BILD) and first published in “Sport Bild”.
