Bernd Stange in Syria: How a German football coach defies the war

After the arrival at the airport of Sharjah was once nothing more. The players in the Syrian national team and their coach Bernd Stange were suffocated by crowds frenetic Fans almost, the team bus, the players from the ravaged country reached only with great difficulty. “The pendants are our most dangerous weapon. They are our twelfth man,” said rod, who found himself on numerous Selfies with cardboard-Cup: “it’s a euphoria I have never experienced.”

rod knows the great importance of his work for the civil war-tormented population. “Football offers people a change of pace,” said the 70-Year-old shortly before the start of the Asian championship on Saturday. The war, in Spite of rod wants to write with his Team in the United Arab Emirates, history of the Syrians in the 17. Edition of the continental title fights for the first Time through the group stage.

“This is a Must, that is mandatory,” revealed rod to the Kicker. The Fans expect even more than the indentation in the knockout stage of the tournament, which will be held the European championship finals recently for the first time with 24 participants. The trailer speak according to rod, who started his Job in February of last year, actually, just from the title.

a Packed stadium at the completion of training

Already, at the completion of training in the capital, Damascus, the stadium was full. At the reception in the Emirates, where a Million Syrians live, has been celebrated, the Team once again, frenetically. Employees of the Syrian Embassy distributed thousands of Fan-Shirts, each group game will be expected to host over 10.000 followers. “I don’t know if this is related to the war or the distraction of it,” said rod: “A creepy fanaticism.”

The preparation of the 74. the world ranking list, in the mountains, in the Damascus delivery calm – in spite of the war. The conflict has, however, ensured that Syria could hold for seven years, not a home game. After all, the League has recorded a year ago again. “But the situation is still very complicated,” said Globetrotter rod, who has already trained the Iraq, Oman, Singapore, and Belarus, as well as in Cyprus, Australia and the Ukraine.