Lahm: Now I just want to help the development of grassroots football in Germany, I don’t want to coach like Guardiola

Hupu reported on October 30 that TheAthleticUK wrote a column about Bayern’s legendary captain Philipp Lahm.

Now, he serves as the assistant coach of the Gern U14 team three times a week.

This is the starting point of his football career. It was Gern's first club before Bayern, the German national team and even other clubs. He joined Gern at the age of five, continuing the family tradition.

His father, grandfather, and uncle all served in the service of Gurn. His mother was the club's director of youth teams for 20 years, and his son Julian currently plays for the Gunn U14 team.

"Gern was like a second home to me as a child," he later explained. "My family has always been inextricably linked to the club. My mother is now on the board and my father and uncle are here. And I live five minutes away from the club."

"Last year, the position of assistant coach opened up and the head coach - one of my old friends - asked me if I would like to help. Of course, I happily said yes.

Child The boys are used to me. I'm just an ordinary coach, an ordinary father. It's great to come back and see people who have known me for so many years. For them, I am not Philipp Lahm of Bayern Munich."

He sat quietly on the bench to watch the game and saw his son - a winger - score the goal and the team led 2-0 in the first half.

In 2017, Lahm was 33 years old and had one year left on his contract with Bayern, but he decided to retire. The then head coach Carlo Ancelotti invited him to serve as an assistant coach. Lahm, hailed by Guardiola as the smartest player he has ever played with, seems destined to follow in Guardiola's footsteps.

But Lahm rejected Ancelotti's invitation. As far as his coaching ambitions are concerned, the Gunns are all he has: two training sessions a week and one game on Saturday. This is community football.

The Genn team failed to hold on to the lead. They conceded three goals in a row and ultimately lost the game. After the final whistle, the young players returned to the locker room one after another.

"This is grassroots football!" Ram said with a smile, waving his hands to signal everyone not to be dejected. "We are not trying to train professional players. We shouldn't do that either, because how many people can get such an opportunity?

For us, it is more important to teach children The meaning of our teamwork. Every child has different strengths, so at this stage, what we have to do is to integrate all these abilities, no matter what they are, and then teach the children how to face victory and failure, and how to make progress together.

Yes, I can talk about it. Understanding the rules of the game. But more important are the values of football: teamwork, fair play, respect for the rules of the game, solidarity and friendship - it's important to develop confidence in young people

It's also fun for me - and I get to spend time with my son. Light - but no matter which path a person chooses when he grows up, these things are important in life."

Long after the amateur youth training game ended, when the car slowly drove into the underground parking lot of the Allianz Arena, Lahm was still thinking about why this sport would become the focus of his life after retirement.

"Because grassroots sport is vital to our country. That's why I've always wanted to play a part in it. The reason it's important is because everyone can get involved. Everyone can find a grassroots club that suits them - or, that's how it should be.

It has to do with a person's social status It has nothing to do with whether he is rich or not. It has nothing to do with his talent.

Grassroots sports can help people integrate into groups, and for those who are introverts or new to this country, it means a lot

It's been a great experience for me, but I hope for others. To have that opportunity. Football has always been fun for me, but it's more than that. I love the game and the feeling of not being alone.

Gern was where it all started, but initially I just wanted to play football. Gern gave me a new family, a great community, and people I still keep in touch with today.

I coach these kids today not because I was the captain of the German national team, but because an old friend of mine asked me to help. ”

But why has he never coached a professional team? After all, German clubs, especially Bayern Munich, are full of former players in the second spring of their careers, and some have even been promoted to management.

After the car stopped, he paused for a while.

"I was coached by Guardiola and I saw firsthand his understanding of the game. Every day, every day. Football was everything to him. Football was all on his mind, and even when he wasn't coaching or arranging games, he couldn't live without football. I believe that's still the case for him now.

But it wasn't for me. I wanted to be the best in everything I did - with all my heart and soul. Go, be 100% committed, like Guardiola - but I don't want to be dedicated to coaching every day.

And I want to stay away from football. Remember, I joined Bayern's youth academy at the age of 12, so by the time I left, football had occupied my life for almost 22 years. "