Rudi Faßnacht: Memories of one of the toughest trainers – Rubbing alcohol on the leg

Faßnacht was a true master of the art. He let training games drag on until his team finally won – and it would last well into the night. He made his players sweat like there was no tomorrow during conditioning training and ordered ball sessions with medicine balls. If the boss was in a particularly good mood in the ring, he would blast his goalkeepers with a series of powerful close-range volleys. Even when the fittest player was gasping for breath, Faßnacht always had a good joke ready.

"There are people who interpret authority as a fascist character trait. I disagree," he declared in 1982, almost mildly aging. He demanded a professional attitude from his players and, if necessary, knew how to use his resources to bring them into line.