Roger Schmidt - The Book of a Coach (July 2, 2017) (Patreon)

Landing in Beijing. A grand reception at the airport. Photographers, camera flashes. General Manager Li Ming and Darko Matić pick us up. Somehow, a wonderful feeling to be received like this and to feel welcome. Matić is the club's sporting director, played for Beijing Guoan for a long time, and speaks perfect German.

We head to the 'Chao' hotel and immediately feel at home. A fantastic hotel, an oasis of tranquility in the midst of the bustling city. And only a five-minute walk from the Workers' Stadium - our new home. After a quick breakfast, we explore everything: Fans are waiting in front of the stadium. Above the entrance to the club office, there's a large screen playing a welcome video - all about Roger, for Roger. It's like a big movie production. You can tell how much he appreciates and enjoys being welcomed this way. At the entrance to the team area, there's a large collage with photos of him and all the coaches. Someone put in a lot of effort for that.

Overall, we feel comfortable right away in our new workspace on the second floor of the stadium. Everything we need is here. It might not be as modern and perfect as the training centers in the Bundesliga, but perhaps that's not the most crucial factor. There's a meeting room with a screen and projector, a medical room, and a treatment area with eight massage beds, a sauna and a cold water pool, a makeshift gym with bikes, and a "Rocky" torture chamber in the stadium's catacombs, a room for the equipment managers, and a very spacious team locker room. We'll make some modifications here and there, and then it will be just right. For now.

We're getting to know our new Chinese colleagues. I have the feeling that they are looking forward to having us. Many new staff members have been brought in, and others had to leave at the request of the club's leadership. The signs indicate a fresh start.

Roger will be interviewed exclusively by the club's own TV channel one day before the official presentation. The spokesperson appears very professional.

Dinner at a round table in a restaurant right next to the stadium. Of course, Peking duck. We've ended up in the best neighborhood, you can feel it immediately. Here, around the stadium, is where the heart of the capital beats.

During dinner, we are watching Tianjin Quanjian against Guangzhou Evergrande. At halftime, Roger appears on the screen. He has arrived.

Reference: "Das Buch eines Trainers" (Roger Schmidt mit Jörn Wolf)