Gerland always demanded a great deal from his youngsters. In particular, he set great store by discipline, commitment, rigor, fairness, and punctuality. “If one of them ever said ‘I got stuck in traffic,’ I would say to them ‘So get stuck in traffic earlier next time, like I always do.’”
The players could rely on him 100 percent. “The guys have to be allowed to mess up from time to time. When, if not now?” Gerland understood them and defended them – including in front of the club’s top management. There was Bastian Schweinsteiger, for example, who was supposed to leave the club following a transgression. “No, he stays. I made mistakes when I was younger, too.” And the rest is history. Gerland was responsible for training five of the 2014 world champions, Schweinsteiger included.
Many describe Gerland as the heart and soul of FC Bayern Munich. For Thomas Müller, who is a bit of a rascal, Gerland was a father figure and a friend: “Tiger, I wouldn’t be where I am today without you. But without me, you would never have become a nine-times German champion.” Gerland’s response: “A win-win situation!”