Adapt or Perish: Bastian Schweinsteiger
Adapt or Perish: Episode 1 — Bastian Schweinsteiger
Come August, people from all corners of the globe rejoice as they welcome back the Barclays Premier League. With what is shaping up to be the most exciting race for the title yet; the Premiership garage has gained a Rolls-Royce. Bastian Schweinsteiger rolled into Old Trafford, giving the Premier League an added touch of class and muscle. Renowned as a Bavarian deity, a true “Fussballgott”, the journey of Basti wasn’t a smooth one. One major coaching decision changed the talented but erratic youngster into a World beater.
Bastian broke into the Bayern senior team at the age of 18 under the tutelage of Ottmar Hitzfeld, albeit at the unfamiliar position of left full-back. The central midfield metronome that ruled Germany for the best part of the last half decade as we know him was not always as level-headed. The fame and fortune that accompany the life of a footballer made Schweinsteiger believe he was the finished article. He celebrated Oktoberfest all year round. Breaking into the training ground at 2AM to “use the Jacuzzi” and driving at ridiculous speeds in his sports car were the norm to him. The bleached-blond wunderkind had talent to waste; the only problem was that he was burning the candle at both ends.
Inspiration struck Bastian through an unconventional source, the highest power in his homeland. While suspended for a Euro 2008 match, he sat with German Chancellor, Angela Merkel. “She told me that I shouldn’t do the same stupid things again,” Basti recalled in an interview. “When Frau Chancellor says you have to do something, you have to do it…It made me think about things carefully and look at how I wanted my career to be, She told me to not make such stupid mistakes again, ever. And she told me to get back to my best form, just like at the 2006 World Cup.” It was this moment that was the catalyst for the making of “Der Kommandant”.
The crazy spark at right midfield was out of favour by the eccentric Felix Magath, but when a maverick Dutchman entered the fray, Basti’s life changed forever. Louis Van Gaal came to Bavaria with intensity, experience and an abundance of cojones. The coaching methods of Van Gaal have helped some of the world’s elite, and he can be credited with the introduction of Bastian Schweinsteiger to that particular club. “When I arrive at a new club, I talk with every player about his position, his personality, the team, how he works with team-mates. I told Bastian: ‘I think you have to play in midfield.’ At that time, we played with two holding midfielders and a No.10, Thomas Müller. So Schweinsteiger played in a holding role, and found he liked the game more than ever.”
“Now, I’m always close to the ball,” Schweinsteiger has been quoted. “I missed that when playing wide. The switch in position was a very important stage.” Van Gaal implemented a system that would involve Schweinsteiger after Bayern purchased Arjen Robben. By acknowledging the strength, passing ability and lack of pace of Bastian, LVG had identified a gem of a central midfielder. By making Schweinsteiger the central hub of his team, Bayern had an army that was hard to break down. The tank in central midfield, the fighter jets of Ribery and Robben on the wings and the clinical snipers upfront; Muller and later Mandzukic took Bayern to 3 Champions League finals in 4 seasons following Schweinsteiger’s position change.
The coaching of Schweinsteiger was significant to the success of Bayern and the German national team. The key statistics that stand out for Schweinsteiger is his passing accuracy. Averaging over 87% successful passes with a range of passes used in that time is remarkable. The vision that has been nurtured as a winger makes for a great central midfielder. Think David Beckham with Roy Keane and you have Bastian Schweinsteiger. While most midfielders obtain a high passing accuracy through dainty one-two passes, the German throws the instruction book to the ground. A pioneer in the art of being the all-action midfielder, the belief that Louis Van Gaal had in Schweinsteiger has created a monster.
The two crowning glories in Bastian’s career stemmed from his influence as a central midfielder. The 2012–13 Champions League winning side swept everyone away, destroying teams from the front backwards. Bastian was key to this, posting the highest performance score of any midfielder in the Bundesliga that season. The powerhouse was the wrecking ball in the middle and all teams were crushed by Jupp Heynckes’ perfect storm.
The second was the 2014 World Cup final. The people were restless, after going an agonizing 18 years without a major honour (English fans shed a tear), 2014 was either going to be the year of Lionel Messi or the Germans. Schweinsteiger took to the game with class and controlled aggression. The coaching he had received under Van Gaal all those years before payed dividends, as the former winger ruled over the game. The lasting image of the World Cup final was not Mario Götze’s extra-time winner, but it was the King of Bavaria holding the ultimate prize aloft, blood adorned his beaming face. The warrior was elbowed in the second half, but carried on. The passion and attitude he showed as a youngster was evident as he was even more committed to the cause than ever.
2015 is the rebirth of Schweinsteiger. Now captain of the World Champions, a shock exit from the Bavarians to Manchester United shocked everyone. Louis Van Gaal brought the German to the “sunny” new pastures of Manchester on a wave created by the tears of Bayern’s adoring fans. One of the last outlaws saddled up and rode off into the sunset. With a resurgent United team acquiring the experienced Bastian, the cat really has been put amongst the pigeons. At 30 years old, Louis Van Gaal will hope to conjure up another magic trick to reinvigorate Schweinsteiger after an injury hit campaign last season. The greatest love story of our time may see Louis and Schweini sitting at the top of the Premier League tree. W-I-N-N-I-N-G.
In a way, Bastian Schweinsteiger’s journey as a footballer is the perfect representation of the people of Germany. While there have been wrongdoings in their past, the true beauty eventually shines through. Bastian Schweinsteiger is Germany. Coaching Schweini to become the player he is today was the perfect thing to happen to the neutral fan, as he has become the player who plays for the people, and that is why he will go down as one of the greatest of all time. Welcome to the Premier League Bastian. It’s been long overdue.
