In 2013, defender Dante celebrated the treble with his cult song "Und Pokal auch" ("And the cup too"). Now he's back at Säbener Straße: as coach of the Bayern reserve team. In an interview with members’ magazine 51, he speaks about his new job, key role models and what he wants to stand for as a coach.
Interview with Dante
Dante, you said to us in Nice in 2024 that you were dreaming of one day coming back to FC Bayern as a coach. Has it happened quicker than you thought?Dante: “I said that as more of a joke at the time. I never would’ve thought that I’d actually be back as coach now, two years later. But I’m thrilled, full of energy and very grateful for this opportunity. I want to develop my players and I’ll do my best to do that.”
How did your return come out? “I know Max Eberl from Gladbach. We met a while ago and got talking. I explained that I wanted to become a coach and that I was doing my coaching badges at the time. Max found it all interesting – and then he got in touch and asked what I thought about becoming coach of the Bayern reserves. I said yes immediately.”
Now you’re back at Säbener Straße. How does it feel for you? “It’s emotional. A lot of memories come flooding back – of what we achieved together. It warms my heart.”
Your role is different now: you’re coach, not player. What does that change for you? “As a player, you’re primarily concerned with yourself. As a coach, you have to have an eye on everything: the individual players, the team, the staff, the organisation, the environment. You’re constantly thinking: who’s doing what? What do I want to communicate to the boys? What’s the purpose of each exercise? Does it fit with my playing philosophy? There are so many topics, so it’s important to remain clear in your mind. I put a lot of focus on values, attitude and mentality. That helps us to pull together in the same direction.”
A few months ago, you were still playing for Nice. How hard is it for you not to be kicking the ball in training anymore? “It still gives me a sense of pleasure to have the ball at my feet and also show the boys a thing or two. That’s part of it. However, I felt it was the right moment to end my playing career. I’m 42 and have enjoyed football on the pitch for a long time. Now the time has come for me to follow football from the sidelines.”
We know Dante the player – always with a smile, always with music. What’s Dante the coach like? “Dante is still Dante. I think it’s important to be authentic. I’m a positive person, even under pressure or when things aren’t going as planned. But obviously, it’s an adjustment for me. As a player, you might go for something to eat after a game, listen to music and have fun. As a coach, it’s immediately into the analysis: what did we do well? What not? What do we want to work on in the coming days? There’s always something to plan, to organise, to do.”
A coach has to correct, set boundaries and sometimes make tough decisions. How do you deal with that? “I’m a coach who wants to motivate his players – in every drill, in every session, in every match. But at the heart of it is honesty. I want to always speak the truth to the boys and the people around me. If, for example, someone’s ever not training with the required intensity, I’ll tell him that. I place great value on seriousness and professionalism.”
Why is honesty such a central point for you? “Because as a coach you should only have one face, a clear line. You can’t say one thing today, something else tomorrow and something different again the next day. You’ll lose the dressing room then.”
Have you experienced that as a player yourself? “I’ve seen what happens when players notice that a coach isn’t telling the truth. Or when he only motivates you because he needs you at that moment. Every player is important for me – not just the 11 who start, or the 18 who are in the matchday squad. Obviously I don’t coach everyone the same way. The boys are different: some are quieter, some louder. And there are differences in how I get my message across depending on the personality.”
What was the first thing you said to your team? “I spoke about the Bayern mentality, about what it means to play for Bayern. I want players who believe in themselves, who are focussed and disciplined, who are willing to give everything. They have to be ready to work hard every day. My objective is to help every individual along – as a person and as a player. I’m an open kind of guy, my players know they can always come to me. I’m always there for them.”
What does Dante’s football look like? “There are a few things that are non-negotiable for me: intensity, aggression, mentality, concentration, respect. I want a team who are brave on the ball, who want to attack, who are organised and control the game.”
A question to a former defensive linchpin: do you prefer to score lots of goals or concede few? “We need a balance. Preferably score lots of goals and at the same time be well organised defensively. Easy, right (laughs)?”
You had a long and successful career, playing until you were 42. Has anything still surprised you in your coaching education? “I never really thought about how many decisions a coach has to make. It’s not just about the starting line-up but many, many other things – on and off the pitch. As a coach, you’re certainly at the training ground for at least twice as long as the players. I never really realised that.”
The idea of becoming a coach started for you at Gladbach – with Lucien Favre. What did he spark? “He spoke with me a lot. We often stood in his office in front of the tactics board and he explained what his plan was. He wanted to know what I thought of it. We moved player magnets around and swapped ideas, which I really enjoyed. He also explained to me what he thinks about in a training drill, why we do them. He later showed me a video and I could see that we played in exactly the same way in the match as we’d practised in training. I just though: Wow! That whole process – preparing something, communicating it to the team, rehearsing it and then seeing it implemented in the match – I find really fascinating.”
You realised how everything intertwines. “Exactly. Lucien was a great tactician. Sometimes we played 4-4-2, sometimes 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 – he would often change but always with a clear idea. I could always ask him what we were doing such and such. Those insights made me really keen to become a coach myself.”
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Pep Guardiola wrote as a dedication to you in his biography that you could become a great coach. What was special about Pep for you? “There’s no one who sees the game as clearly as he does. He’s always a step ahead of everyone else. It’s impressive how he prepares every match. He gives his players so many details – and with that gives them tremendous confidence. As a player under Pep, you always have the feeling of having everything under control.”
And what about Jupp Heynckes? “Jupp was an outstanding coach, he completely understands football. But most of all, Jupp is an outstanding person. He always spoke the truth and could even keep 25 superstar players happy. He gave everyone the feeling of being important. His style of communication – honest, appreciative, human – was really unique.”
You were once a young player, like your players are now. Was there a coach who was particularly important for you? “The first that comes to mind is Michel Preud’homme. At Standard Liège we became champions together, the first title for Standard in 25 years. Michael spoke with me a lot. He wanted to know my background, he gave me a lot of tips and explanations. He understood me; he was like a father to me.”
What does his example mean for you now that you’re responsible for young players yourself? “It’s also important to me to know the background of my players, to see the whole person and also talk about things that aren’t directly related to football. That can help to understand why a player is having a dip. Maybe he’s not seen his family for a long time. Maybe he’s lost someone. You should never forget: a player is first and foremost a human.”
Preud’homme, Favre, Heynckes, Guardiola – they’re very different types of coach. What kind of coach is Dante? “When you’ve experienced such excellent coaches as a player, you obviously take something from each of them. But it’s also important to me to stay true to myself and develop my own style. I have high standards of myself and of my team. I want players who work with enthusiasm, energy and positivity. I want to feel that they know what an honour it is to wear the Bayern shirt.”
As a player you played in the biggest stadiums. Now you’re going to Burghausen, Illertissen and Buchbach in the first away games of the season. How does that feel? “Awesome! I still don’t know most of the places in the league. I’m very excited for everything that awaits me there. Above all, though, I’m looking forward to being with my team, playing together, getting better together and having success together.”
How do you think the spectators will respond to you? “My time at Bayern was a few years ago now. I hope the people remember me positively, not so much because of the titles we won but as a person. That would be the nicest thing for me.”
When we speak again after the season, what would have been a good season for you? “If lots of the boys have developed well. If a few are ready for professional football – ideally at Bayern. We have to be patient, though. The team is very young, a lot of my players will still be playing in the U19 Youth League. This is their first experience with men’s football, so the process is the main focus. But of course, we’re FC Bayern – and we hate losing.”
Interview taken from the August edition of Members’ Magazine ‘51’.