Roger Schmidt - The Book of a Coach (CAREER PLANNING) (Patreon)

Everything that has happened has happened because other people believed in me.

I was practically persuaded by people who were convinced that I could be a good coach for their club. Before I got involved, it was Heinz Austerschmidt, the chairman of Delbrucker SC, who called me for months, asking if I would consider taking over his club as a coach. It was his persistence that made me start thinking about whether coaching a football team could be an alternative to my trained profession as an engineer. At some point, I agreed for a year. That one year turned into three. The effort alongside my job and family with two young children was so immense that after three years, I felt the need to quit the coaching job. I communicated this to the officials in Delbruck and stopped. My plan was to focus more on my family and continue developing in my profession.

And then I was persuaded a second time. This time it was about a full-time coaching role at SC Preussen Munster. The two officials at that time, sports manager Carsten Gockel and president Marco de Angelis, contacted me. Because of Delbruck's promotion to the fourth league and the matches against Preussen, I had come into their view. For me, working as a coach full-time was out of the question. Still, I agreed to a conversation. The two of them fought for me for weeks. And eventually, after many discussions with my wife, I agreed, left my profession, and became a coach in Munster. I was offered a contract that would have allowed me to return to my old job at any time.

I always saw this persistent pursuit by responsible individuals a bit as fate. When people fight so hard for me, it must be that I am meant to be a coach, I thought. These first two coaching experiences shaped me. Firstly, I was emotionally connected to both clubs and deep friendships were formed with the officials. Secondly, because in the course of my coaching career, I frequently made emotional decisions and relied to some extent on the fate I described earlier.

I never had a real career plan and never aimed to become a Bundesliga coach or anything like that. I was just a coach with heart and soul in the club I was in at the moment, identifying 100% with the task and the people there, trying to achieve the best possible results with my team. I loved my teams and never thought about what might come next. Everything that happened always happened because other people believed in me and believed that I was the right coach for their club. It was like that in Paderborn with Wilfried Finke. In Salzburg with Ralf Rangnick. In Leverkusen with Rudi Voller and Jonas Boldt. And at Beijing Guoan with Mr. Zhou. Of course, these opportunities also arose due to a certain sporting success at the previous station.

I never actively looked for any club. I am convinced that by completely identifying with the current club and working hard with the team, doors will always open for future tasks. For every coach. One should invest all their energy in the present. Try to be successful. Play football with a recognizable style. And not think about the next or the next but one career step already.

In today's football business, people are easily driven, also by agents. But I believe one should stay on their own path. A certain personality and decision-making competence must be inherent. Of course, it's helpful to have someone by your side who can act as an advisor and conduct negotiations with clubs. For me, a consultant should primarily be a good friend whom I trust and whose assessments are valuable to me. Good coaches and good players usually attract attention through their performance and don't need to be constantly offered somewhere.

In the case of the engagement in Beijing, the economic aspect naturally provided the impulse to even have discussions. But here too, the personal connection to the new owner of the club was ultimately decisive. In general, transfers to China are very complicated because many people are involved, many intermediaries. But the fact that I ended up in China was strongly influenced by the fact that after my first visit to Beijing, I received a personal letter from the owner expressing great appreciation and the urgent wish that I take on this job.

The officials of PSV Eindhoven, Toon Gerbrands, and John de Jong, also made efforts over a longer period of time to get me interested and made me feel that I was the right coach for their club. They convinced me not only with their sporting concept but also as human beings.

It was clear and discussed with my family that I would take a break after the engagement in Beijing and wouldn't start again before the summer of 2020, regardless of which opportunities might arise.

The engagement at PSV Eindhoven appealed to me from the first contact in December 2019. After the discussions, I am convinced that it is the best option for my team and me. To work there with a young team and highly talented players, to be able to develop them, to create something new for the club. Possibly even a new style of football.

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