Wednesday, 30th April
ZAUGG: Rough and tough coaches
They don't come any tougher than Germany's Hans Zach
As a rule, being the coach of a national hockey team is a job for a grinder.
That's especially true when you receive this duty in a country where hockey is considered just as important as the government's political policy.
Pressure is high, as are expectations, and you walk a razor's edge in terms of being anointed a saint or dubbed the clown of the hour by the fans, depending on how your team does.
But in one country, working as the national ice hockey coach is even tougher than in Finland, Sweden,Canada, or Switzerland. That's in Germany, where Hans Zach rules the roost.
He faces a daunting task.
The reason is simple: Germany is nuts about football ("soccer" to Americans). It's a place where an old-fashioned man like Bavarian football legend Franz Beckenbauer grabs more headlines in the tabloids by having an affair with a secretary than, in all likelihood, a German team would get by winning the World Championship title.
Hans Zach has to sell hockey and do everything possible to make sure that the people back home don't forget about his national team. At the same time, he also has to run a club team (Cologne Sharks). That makes him a giant figure in German hockey.
Not only that, but he is probably the toughest coach available in European hockey nowadays. It is not advisable for a player to argue with him.
Zach operates a Mike Keenan-like dictatorship, forcing his players to work their guts out to earn success. Hard work is the only thingthat can convince Hans Zach, the former "Butcher" and national team player from Tölz. Some have also nicknamed him "the Bull from Tölz" after the star in a popular German TV crime series. Others call him "Alpenvulkan" because he sometimes erupts.
But this volcano is looking like a Mount Everest in international hockey these days. His hard work pays off, again and again. After a 3-1 win over Ukraine, the Germans are looking forward to heading off to the quarter-finals for the fourth straight time, including the 2001 and 2002 IIHF World Championships and the 2002 Olympics.
But Hans Zach is not the only tough guy behind the bench.
Here is the ultimate list of the toughest guys coaching at World Championship tournaments in the last 25 years.
1. Hans Zach, Germany. (See above.)
2. Vladimir Plyuschev, Russia. I had a little chat with him. "Mister Plyuschev, rumor has it that you are tougher than Victor Tikhonov." "Oh, there are many birds singing." "Can I put my trust in the song of these birds?" "No. At least, never has a player collapsed during one of my practices..."
3. Mike Keenan, Canada. At the 1993 World Championships he had his right foot on the player bench. So he'd be ready to kick the players' butts.
4. Victor Tikhonov, Russia. Well, at least, they collapsed in his practices...
5. Ivan Hlinka, Czech Republic. Even Jaromir Jagr and Dominik Hasek had to call him "Mr. Hlinka" while he called them by their first names at the Olympics in Nagano.
But there is the principle of Yin and Yang. That means in hockey that there also have to be some nice guys out there.
1. Lou Vairo, USA. Charming, communicative and supportive like no one else--and especially beloved now by all the fans in Denmark and Switzerland.
2. Xaver Unsinn, Germany. His name means "nonsense", but actually everything made sense in his work.
3. Dave King, Canada. The gentleman of Canadian hockey. If Don Cherry only had one percent of his ethical approach, he would be the Prime Minister of Canada with exceptional support from Quebec separatists.
4. Andy Murray, Canada. Smart coach with the L.A. Kings, never losing his temper. On his way to Canada's first Worlds gold since 1997.
5. Ralph Krueger, Switzerland. If someone is able to coach Swiss players and also write a bestseller about psychology, he really deserves to be nicknamed the "Shakespeare of hockey."
Klaus Zaugg
Zaugg is the hockey editor of the Swiss newspaper BLICK.
http://live97.ihwc.net/english/article/e...ihwc?artId=1392
In Antwort auf:
Hans Zach has to sell hockey and do everything possible to make sure that the people back home don't forget about his national team. At the same time, he also has to run a club team (Cologne Sharks). That makes him a giant figure in German hockey.
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