Football sports [get football news]. - Gathering of the ages: Seasoned player confronts skilled trainer
Two coaches with distinct backgrounds and styles will meet in the DFB Cup final. While Friedhelm Funkel, now 70, made his first cup final as a player in May 1981, Xabi Alonso, age 42, had not even been born yet. The Spaniard was born six months after Funkel's achievement, and they'll go head-to-head as 1. FC Kaiserslautern's and Bayer Leverkusen's coaches on Saturday (20:00/ARD and Sky) in Berlin.
Their playing styles differ drastically - Funkel, previously an energetic and prolific forward, and Alonso, a strategic midfielder mastermind. Funkel's single title as a player came in 1985 against FC Bayern with his surprise team, Bayer Uerdingen. He has yet to win a title as a coach, yet has led six divisions to the Bundesliga. Alonso, on the other hand, boasts an impressive 18 trophies as a player, including World Cup, European Championship, and Champions League titles. In his maiden full season as a coach, he led Leverkusen to national championship triumph.
Despite their differences, both coaches express great respect for one another. "For me, it's an honor to play against a coach with a remarkable career in soccer," Alonso stated. "I admire these great personalities and learn from them," he added.
Funkel echoed the sentiment, praising Alonso not only for his stellar playing career but also for his prowess as a soccer coach. "He is very genuine and an excellent coach," Funkel remarked. "His experience, his charisma - the way he interacts with people is simply remarkable, simply exceptional," he said, grinning at his prior allegiance to Leverkusen as champions in December. "I was a retired individual at that time," he added, "but I was frequently present at BayArena in the early part of the season, and it was simply astounding how that team played football."
For details on the cup final, visit dfb.de.Team 1. FC KaiserslauternTeam Bayer Leverkusen
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Source: www.stern.de
