Cult trainer Trapattoni turns 80

With his angry speech, Giovanni Trapattoni has become a cult figure in Germany. His expressions “Bottle empty”, “I'm done” and “What do Strunz allow?” are still fondly remembered by football fans today. The language was the biggest obstacle back then, says “Trap” in an interview with the German Press Agency. Before his 80th birthday this Sunday, Trapattoni also commented on Joachim Löw, record sums in football, Lothar Matthäus on Instagram and the desire for injury time.

You coached VfB Stuttgart and FC Bayern. What did you have to get used to when you moved to Germany? The biggest obstacle was definitely the language. A truly tough opponent that I underestimated. Without the right expressions, I didn't manage to communicate with the team the way I wanted. And that brought with it a lot of problems. I have to say that I adapted very well to the circumstances in Germany. In Italy I was already seen as someone who should leave the job as a coach. In Germany, on the other hand, I felt valued from the first moment.

Do you sometimes return to Germany and are you still in contact with former colleagues and players such as Thomas Strunz, Mario Basler or Mehmet Scholl? Given my age and my wife's age, we travel less and less. I have to say that I lost sight of my old players at Bayern a bit. Since I've been on social media, I've started following a few. For example, I always follow (Lothar) Matthäus and (Oliver) Kahn on Instagram. Unfortunately my German is very rusty. Every now and then I say a phrase to my grandchildren, but I haven't found a way to continue practicing it.

You have become a cult figure in Germany because of your angry speech. In a way, you also partly shaped the Germans' image of Italy. Are you a little proud of that? Well, I wouldn't say proud. How can I be proud of a tantrum in which I made a bunch of grammatical errors! To be honest, I could never have imagined that such a press conference would still be so popular after 20 years. One explanation could be the tragicomic and unexpected aspect of the press conference. Nobody ever expected such a reaction from a Bayern coach.

Football is different today than it was in your time. What do you think about record transfers like that of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus Turin, for example? Football has increasingly become a market that attracts huge investments. It already functions like a business in every way. That's why I believe that the increasing transfer fees are just a result of this development. But I fear that the educational values of sport will be lost for the younger generations.

The Italian national team cannot get back on its feet. How do you explain that? Did you follow the World Cup in Russia even though Italy wasn't there? You need time to rebuild. Nowadays everyone acts as if success will happen in no time. But you need patience. I have complete confidence in (current coach) Roberto Mancini and I am sure he will do well. Of course I followed the World Cup. I believe that sport should not be used as a mask for nationalism. I like football, it goes far beyond the flags on the training jackets.

The World Cup didn't go much better for the Germans. What advice would you have given national coach Joachim Löw after last year's World Cup defeat? I admire Joachim very much and I don't think it's fair to trample on him for this matter. Every event should be assessed in the most objective way possible, and one must also look at the past. To err is human, and mistakes bring change.

After your career, your grandson made you an “influencer” on Instagram. Do you keep track of how many likes you get? More than the “likes”, I’m interested in being in contact with people and communicating. It amazes me more and more how this technology instantly connects you with so many other people. With the help of my grandson, I personally read and respond to the messages I receive from my fans. I'm sorry I can't do it with everyone, but there really are so many. I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart who sends me messages of appreciation and affection. I have to say, I enjoy posting things with my grandson.

You will be 80 on Sunday. What goals do you still have for the future? I am currently enjoying retirement to be with my family. I have to admit that I was not a model grandfather as a coach. I was always on the go and even when I was at home, I was always thinking about football. Now I'm trying to get that time back. At 80, I can't do many future projects. Let's put it this way, I feel like I've finished 90 minutes of my game. From now on the Golden Goal begins!

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Cult trainer Trapattoni turns 80

With an emotional outburst at FC Bayern, Giovanni Trapattoni cursed his way into the hearts of football fans. On his 80th birthday, the Italian is making up for lost time. And talks about his toughest opponent in Germany: He wasn't on the field.

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