The German Christian Schweichler has been the goalkeeping coach of the Lebanese national team since April last year. torwart.de spoke to the native of Mülheim about World Cup dreams, goalkeeper training in the Middle East and life in Lebanon.
torwart.de : What brings someone to Lebanon and why the national team?
Christian Schweichler : The Lebanese national team celebrated their greatest success last year under the leadership of coach Theo Bücker and is in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2014 World Cup. The association wants to use this success in the long term and become more professional at all levels. This includes in particular the goalkeeper area. A goalkeeper coach with international experience was sought, who not only coaches the goalkeepers of the national team, but also has experience in setting up a goalkeeper academy and has teaching experience. In this search, Michael Krüger, with whom I worked in Africa, recommended me. Michael Krüger and Theo Bücker have known each other as international trainers for years and exchange ideas regularly.
torwart.de : Why didn’t you stay in Germany?
Schweichler : I took my first coaching job in professional football when I was 30 years old. This is a very young age for a coach, especially a goalkeeping coach. However, since I had already been working as a goalkeeping coach for ten years, I made a conscious decision to take this step. The fact that this step led me abroad and not to a club in Germany was certainly not planned. Of course, I could also imagine working in German professional football. There have already been initial inquiries in this regard. However, if you play for championships and titles abroad, can prove yourself internationally and get to know the world at the same time, a commitment in Germany should be attractive in order to return.
torwart.de : What excites you about the new task?
Schweichler : Coaching a national team is always attractive. You don’t get an offer like this every day. The combination of training work with the team and conceptual work for the association is also attractive. My personal goals also lie in these two focal points. With the national team, I obviously want to complete the qualifying round as positively as possible. In addition, I am striving to create structures with the goalkeeping academy that will raise goalkeeping to a higher level in the long term.
torwart.de : How is it compared to Germany?
Schweichler : Lebanon, with almost 4 million inhabitants, is of course not a football heavyweight. Nonetheless, the national team has earned respect in Asia. Reaching the final qualifying round for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil is a great achievement for the team and the entire country. With Roda Antar and Youssef Mohamad, there are two successful former Bundesliga players in the squad. There are also players who are on the ball for their clubs in Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. They are role models for the young players, some of whom would certainly be able to assert themselves in the top leagues in Germany. Due to the successes of the national team, the players are now naturally drawing attention to themselves.
torwart.de : How do you rate the goalkeepers in comparison to Germany?
Schweichler : Unfortunately, goalkeeper training in general still leaves a lot to be desired, even in the Arab world. The ideal execution of goalkeeper-specific basic techniques as well as a tactically optimally aligned positional play, especially when dominating the penalty area, poses major problems for many goalkeepers. However, regular, individual goalkeeper training at a high quality level can lead to a positive development even in a short time. I think the goalkeepers’ achievements and performances confirm that.
With Abbas Hassan, there is a goalkeeper in the squad who was trained in Europe and has everything that makes a good goalkeeper. Due to their age structure, the rest of the Lebanese goalkeepers are due for a generational change. There are individual hopeful talents who now have to be brought up to the desired level of performance.
torwart.de : How are the conditions compared to Germany?
Schweichler : A serious comparison is almost impossible. The conditions are much more difficult. In view of the lack of infrastructure and the adversities that keep cropping up, it’s a miracle what our head coach Theo Bücker has built up in the past and that we’re still in the running to qualify for the 2014 World Cup with our entry into the final Asian qualifying round .
torwart.de : How is the environment (stadium/fans)?
Schweichler : Lebanon is proud of the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, a nearly 60,000-seat bowl that was renovated for the 2000 Asian Cup. This is where league games take place as well as our games with the national team. There are also two other, smaller stadiums. As a result of the civil war in 2006, the football-mad Lebanese were banned from attending league games for several years. A fan culture is slowly forming again. However, you showed the fantastic mood you’re capable of in our qualifier against Qatar in front of a packed crowd at the start of this qualifier.
