His trademark: a baseball cap. And a lot of emotionality. Yes, Josef “Sepp” Steinberger “lives” football. And yet things had become quiet for the Lower Bavaria native since the summer of 2022. Because he wanted it that way. Because he wanted to calmly reflect on his almost two decades in the coaching business and further educate himself for his next tasks. The 51-year-old has now said yes to the next one: effective immediately, he is the head coach of FC Pipinsried in the Bayernliga South.
Holder of a UEFA Pro license
Less than 24 hours after breaking up with Martin Weng (we reported) the yellow-blues not only presented some kind of successor for the ultimately hapless Dasinger – but also made a clear exclamation mark. From a football perspective, Steinberger enjoys an excellent name throughout the Free State – deservedly so, after many years of involvement in the youth departments of SSV Jahn Regensburg (from July 2008 to the end of June 2012), TSV 1860 Munich (from July 2012 to the end of June 2017), and SpVgg Greuther Fürth (from July 2017 to the end of June 2018) and most recently FC Augsburg (from January 2019 to the end of June 2022). His task now at the village club in the Dachau hinterland is clear: the UEFA Pro license holder should use his know-how and his exciting manner to ensure that the sporting disaster at FCP – because nothing else would mean relegation to the national league Southwest – under no circumstances occurs at the end of the current season.
Yes, Steinberger was initially hired by the Yellow-Blue as a “firefighter”. Someone who might even stay in Pipinsried beyond the current season? “The only thing that counts for us at the moment is the remaining six league games in 2023/24, that’s our focus,” says Johannes Müller, FCP’s sporting director, clearly: “In principle, of course, we can imagine it, including in the new season to work together – but we can still talk about it in concrete terms at the beginning of May, when we are hopefully completely saved.”
No, the past few days have not left Müller unscathed – after all, he not only had to relieve a coach, Weng, but also a real friend of his duties. “It should come as no surprise to anyone that this decision was extremely difficult for me,” said the 32-year-old: “However, we have come to the decision that after the recent series of successes, we have to try everything again to break the negative trend.” To be more precise, we succeeded The Pipinsried team only had one win in their seven league games after the winter break, and only one of the last seven league games before the winter break was won. The lead over the first relegation place has now shrunk to five points – and there are still six games on the program.
“The only way to give new impetus”
“As bitter as it is for Martin, we now need a fresh impulse to really shake up the team again. And unfortunately the only option we had left as a club to give new impetus was a change of coach,” explains Müller. So away from Weng and towards Steinberger. “First of all, I would like to thank ‘Sepp’ for agreeing to help us at short notice,” said the FCP sporting director: “He has extensive experience and has been through a number of situations as a coach. We firmly believe that he can breathe more life into our team and give them security.”
Of course, the person who was so praised does the same: “I am very confident that with a few minor changes I can get the quality of the team back on the pitch,” says the 51-year-old. On Saturday, during the 3-1 home defeat against SV Heimstetten, he was already incognito in the Küchenstadel Arena – and a short time later Müller actually contacted him officially: “Johannes explained the situation to me. And now is a good time for me to be able to coach a team again in addition to my further training,” says Steinberger.
No lightning comeback from Alexander Eiban
The native of Lower Bavaria will lead his first session in Pipinsried on Monday evening – and he will celebrate his league game debut as head coach of the yellow-blue team next Saturday, at home against TSV Kottern (kick-off at 4 p.m.). “I’m looking forward to the next six games,” said Steinberger – and anyone who knows the thoroughbred footballer knows that he means exactly that.
In the meantime, it is important for Müller to expressly thank Weng again: “Especially the World Cup victory with him against the professionals of TSV 1860 Munich in November 2023 will probably remain unforgettable in Pipinsried forever,” believes the sporting director.
Speaking of unforgettable: Keeper Alexander Eiban (small photo), who was under contract with FCP from January 2021 to the end of June 2022, also has a very good name in the Dachau hinterland. And as luck would have it, he was a guest at the Küchenstadel-Arena last Saturday – just in a phase in which the current Pipinsried goalkeepers Maximilian Retzer and Julian Kirr were not exactly shining with top performances. A rumor promptly spread in fan circles that Eiban could celebrate a lightning comeback at FCP in the next few weeks – especially since his player passport is still in Pipinsried. “But there is absolutely nothing to it,” explains sports director Müller: “Our two current keepers enjoy our complete trust for the rest of the season.”
SZ
2024-04-15 15:19:17
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