“I was ’empty as a bottle'”

Christoph Daum is one of the most controversial coaches in German football. In an interview with t-online, he examines the darkest phase of his career and how he came out stronger.

It has been 20 years since a hair cost Christoph Daum the realization of his greatest professional dream. At the time, in October 2000, the designated national coach was shown to be using cocaine. His club Bayer Leverkusen separated from him without warning, the DFB terminated the contract in force since summer 2001.

Controversial and successful football manager Daum was faced with pieces of his meticulous and hard-earned career. But he returned, won championships and cups in Austria and Turkey and led the 1. FC Köln in the Bundesliga. The 1992 Stuttgart master craftsman has been unemployed since 2017. The time after his retirement as coach of the Romanian national team, Daum used the time for a new project. Together with the journalist Nils Bastek he wrote his autobiography “Always on the edge: my rise, my fall – the whole story of my life”.

The 67-year-old receives t-online at his Cologne office to talk about questions that the book doesn’t definitively answer.

t-online: Mr. Daum, how are you today?

Christoph Daum (67 years old): I’m fine. I am satisfied and grateful for what I have and for who I am. Of course there are one or two biological signs of wear that show up with age, that’s for sure. But all in all I am very happy with the life I lead with my family. What makes me think is that close companions die, sometimes completely unexpected. But even with these influences I have to learn to live with increasing age.

Has it made you more aware of your own mortality?

There are times when I stop. When I heard the news of the death of my dear friend Dr. Bernd Steegmann (former player, coach and vice president of 1. FC Köln, ed), I cried for two days. It is good for all of us to be more aware of our life.

What have you done specifically for your life?

I have traveled regularly to India in recent years, where I have been intensely involved in meditation and breathing techniques. This new health awareness has done me a lot of good.

In the last few weeks you have given numerous interviews to present your autobiography “Always on the Limit”. Many of these conversations centered around their relationship with cocaine in 2000.

This reduction of Christoph Daum’s life and work to this short section does not do justice to the person of Christoph Daum. However, many journalists have made this part of my life the focus of their interviews.

Christoph Daum: At a memorable press conference at the Hyatt Hotel in Cologne, the successful coach confesses his use of cocaine. (Source: Bonn Sequence / Imago Images)

Did you expect to have to talk about it so much?

I was surprised that other important areas of my life were ignored. I was prepared for the 2000 discussion. My life is not written in pencil, I cannot erase what does not suit me: it is set in stone. That’s why this relationship will always be a part of my life. This wound I inflicted on myself has healed, but the scar remains.

How do you look at the image that the public has of you today?

Mostly positive. The response to the book once again contributed to this. Many readers praised how exciting and honest, but also informative, was written. This was also important to me; that I bring people with me into the emotional world of a trainer, explain the background and provide insights.

What performance in your coaching career are you missing in the public eye?

Fortunately, I can say that I have had a lot of good times – and in particular we are talking about Christoph Daum as a private person. When I look at my four children at how independently they go their own way, it overshadows any sporting success. This reflection helped me to accept my public perception. Yes, I’ve made mistakes, but I’ve always said: if I fail, I’ll just get smarter.

Do you feel like the audience has forgiven you for your mistakes?

I think the population took it away from me when I said I wanted to learn from my mistakes and not repeat them. This feeling of not being stigmatized in the corner helped me a lot.

Despite everything, are you still the son of the Duisburg working class you grew up with?

I still have contacts with my old playmates from Duisburg. But am I still what I was then? I doubt it. I have remained true to some of my core values, but I also have to be honest with myself and say that I have changed a lot since I was young.

How did you get out of your crisis and return to football?

This process takes place over many days and weeks. My family has been of great help to me in this bankruptcy analysis. Why: I had my back to the wall – and this wall was my family. He gave me support during this difficult time. It was she who supported and motivated me the most. It was she who told me: “You can no longer put spilled milk in the bag, you have to look ahead.” It gave me the conviction that my future lies in the area where I have the most experience and mine. I celebrated successes: as a football manager.

How did you manage to consolidate your high-level performance as a manager a few months after your public dismantling in 2000 at Turkish club Besiktas Istanbul?

I wanted to build on my performance, but I couldn’t. I needed a break. I was “empty as a bottle”, as Giovanni Trapattoni once said in a beautiful way. This constant commuting between Koblenz, where I was being tried at the time, and Istanbul, where I was working as a coach in difficult conditions, did not go well. Today I would be certified as having burnout. Besiktas fully understood my situation and asked me to take a two month break and return to work only at the start of the new season. But I said, “No, thank you. If it says Christoph Daum, Christoph Daum must be inside.”

Christoph Daum (right) with his assistant Roland Koch (left): His second term at Besiktas Istanbul ended in May 2002 after just over a year. (Source: Team 2 images / imago)

Have many alleged friends turned their backs on you during these troubled times?

I see relationships as a kind of bank account – you can’t just withdraw, you also have to deposit regularly. And I did. I was there for many people when they needed support and then I felt more relieved when I saw that they were by my side even in my difficult times. But obviously many people have turned away from me. I would estimate that 80% of the people I knew have turned their backs on me. It was a wonderful healing experience. I also try to sensitize my children. When they say they are disappointed when the alleged friends turn away from them, I reply: “You can be happy that you have been disappointed, because it means that you are no longer deceived.

Before 2000 you worked a lot and celebrated great successes. After that, were you still thinking of slowing down your exile in Florida?

No, I thought it was justified that I had the success and status then. I’ve worked so hard for it. Football was my first family, my life. Success was only the result of what I invested. If someone worked eight hours, I was ready to work 16 hours for success.

In November 2011, Christoph Daum took over the traditional Belgian club Club Brugge and took it to second place. (Source: Belgian images / imago)

It’s not healthy in the long run.

It is very healthy. Because my work also includes healthy eating, deep sleep and adequate physical fitness. For me this is also work time. I have included these points, which should ensure my efficiency, as given in my agenda.

So this facility was your recipe for success?

This is the essence and the conclusion, this is the first thing I give to trainers in advanced training courses: planning.

Christoph Daum gets up, goes to his computer and gives a presentation on his office screen. You can see his agenda during his time in the Belgian club Club Bruges. Indeed, his day is meticulously laid out from 8am to 6pm. Daum explains that he only allows himself some free time in the evening, when the work is done.

Finally: what do you want for your personal future?

Today I only want one thing: health. This also means that we are more attentive to our planet. This also means that we need to be more willing to compromise. We must stop seeing a compromise as a failure.