[ 11goals ] - Interview with Matthias Nowak (Acorado Sports)

Dear Matthias,

1. What 3 things fascinate you about football?

Technology, game intelligence and creativity

2. Your best football moment so far?

The DFB Cup victory with the women of FC Bayern Munich

3. What do you think is the key to being happy?

Everyone has to decide that for themselves. For me it is inner peace.

4. What motivates you or how do you motivate yourself?

Life is a gift from God. Carpe Diem.

5. What are you most proud of in your life?

Being “proud” of something…is not my thing.

6. What was the best decision in your football coaching career?

To specialize as a trainer.

   
7. What three things in your life are you most grateful for?

Coffee, cheesecake and wheat beer

8. Your life motto?

Live and let live.

9. Are women more inquisitive about training?

In cognitive training…definitely and above all much more ambitious.

10. What role does the brain/cognitive abilities play in football?

Quite frankly, higher cognitive performance only plays an important role in competitive football. And the following applies: the higher the league, the better the cognitive skills of the players have to be.

11. Can you recommend a daily exercise for cognitive performance training?

I can recommend my book “Move your brain” – have 10 minutes of fun every day and get your brain in shape.

12. What do you enjoy most about your job?

Dealing with young and motivated people.

13. How often do you think cognitive technique training is useful in amateur football? (Example: youth team / senior team with 2x training per week)

Here you would have to go incredibly far... but with 2x training per week I would rather forego cognitive technique training. The basics and “playing” should be the focus.

14. Why did you become a coach? What does this job mean to you?

Job comes from calling...that says it all!

15. Apart from football/sports, what do you miss most in the current situation?

The warm togetherness.

16. Who do you think is the best football coach and why?

What criteria should we use to judge this? By titles? Could Pep Guardiola also join Mainz 05? I think Jürgen Klopp can do it with “any team”. He is a “people catcher” and a winner in the best sense of the word.

17. Where do you see us in the international comparison of young talent development? (Example: DFB / NLZ)

You can't answer that in one sentence. When it comes to promoting young talent, you have to be able to brutally anticipate the football of tomorrow, from which you can derive a temporary competitive advantage... and it seems to me that other football nations were more awake and active than us.

18. Does women's football deserve more recognition? What would have to change? (Compared to other countries; Spain, England, France)

I see German women's football on a very good path. We have many young, talented players in the national team and in the Bundesliga who are able to play attractive football and the young talent is booming. The importance within the club also continues to increase. The best example is FC Bayern Munich.

19. If you could change one thing in football: what would it be?

Reduce the number of players per team to 10!

20. Your life without football/sport would be...

Unthinkable!

Thank you for the interview, Matthias! Stay healthy and see you soon.

More information:

Matthias Nowak
DIRECTOR IMPROVEMENT & PERFORMANCE
acorado-sports.com
nowaks11.com