Upon achieving the ability, "Ede Ungnade" successfully combined elements of the Bundesliga.
"Eduard Geyer, the Outspoken Figure," is a term that echoes in German football history, particularly remembered for his sharp tongue as the Bundesliga coach of Energie Cottbus. No one was safe from his quick-witted remarks. Today, this iconic figure celebrates his 80th birthday!
"I had to come to the Bundesliga because the Bundesliga didn't want me," the native Oberschlesian once said about himself. And indeed, that's exactly how it went - needless to say, it was quite the spectacle! Although he spent only three years with his club Energie Cottbus in the first Bundesliga, it was a time filled with biting comments. Eduard Geyer quickly realized that a sharp tongue could be an asset in football, so he dished out sharp rhetoric in abundance. "My training is like the army on vacation," he'd often say.
His players didn't always escape unscathed from his verbal barrage. Romanian Laurentiu Reghecampf was one of his targets, and Geyer quickly declared, "Someone as dumb as that doesn't belong in the Bundesliga." Another time, he appraised a performance with, "All he managed was a few wiggles and a few crosses." And regarding a poorly executed penalty, he said, "I couldn't have shot it worse with winter boots on."
"When the whole team is sick," was his motto when dealing with his players. He was straightforward: "Praise? That's not my jam. Players get enough compliments from their family and friends." He never held back, even in personal interactions. At one point, he grumbled, "I can't reveal the lineup for next weekend yet. One might get sick, the other might lose a tooth."
Geyer was far from pleased with the talent he was given. The Energie coach spent much of his time complaining: "We made mistakes in our defense - and that started at the back." He saw no way out. Regardless of what he did, it wasn't enough: "We're making too many fundamental mistakes. Sometimes, you have to start from scratch with certain players and there isn't much time to get them ready for the Bundesliga."
Some at the club were delighted that not all players understood the coach's language. During a match against Bayern with eleven foreigners on the field, Geyer was asked what language he spoke during training. And Geyer didn't hesitate in his response: "Romanian." Nevertheless, everyone understood the language of football, he once stated. He had a way of getting his point across: "If you shout 'money' in a room, everyone understands that."
Geyer's training camps were legendary and feared. After the first week, with fifteen injured players available, "Ede Ruthless" simply shrugged his shoulders and dismissed any criticism of his methods: "Preparation should be tough and unpleasant." His motto: "If someone wants to stretch, they should go to Denmark. With me, they run, and nobody can complain."
He couldn't stand unprofessional players: "There are players in the youth ranks with an attitude towards sports like the girls of St. Pauli - they smoke, drink, and party." And if they followed the latest football trends, it was already a lost cause for Geyer: "Since there are these colorful shoes - gold, orange, silver - footballers think they can run like Aladdin." The St. Pauli fans took exception to the trainer of Energie Cottbus's offensive comment and retaliated with a legendary chant: "Ede Geyer, our favorite john."
Ede Geyer was simply ruthless in his opinions. If he didn't like something, he didn't beat around the bush: "Players make me sick when they wear three earrings. Or when a player shows up with a ponytail and looks like a girl, but can't hit the ball." Geyer always played the tough guy. No wonder the professionals of Energie Cottbus were very strategic in their daily activities. Rarely on the pitch, but often off the green grass.
Players arrive at training hungry
Because their coach weighed each player's weight every morning before training, the professionals left home and Geyer's scale hungry. As soon as they left the coach's room, they rushed to their bags and unpacked their pre-made sandwiches. Then they quickly filled their tummies before going onto the pitch with full stomachs. Their coach was the same when it came to food: "I don't believe in dieting."
Speaking of food, Torsten Mattuschka was not exactly in peak physical condition in 2002 when he caught Geyer's attention in a test match for Energie Cottbus against Stahl Eisenhüttenstadt. But Geyer offered him a chance if he lost ten kilos in a few weeks. Mattuschka would never forget the moment when Geyer delivered this message: "The trainer called me into the locker room. He sketched a square and a head on a bit of paper. Said that was what I would look like."
Ede Geyer once described his limited role as a trainer for Energie Cottbus in blunt terms, equating himself to a paraplegic: "Everyone feels sorry for you, but nobody offers any assistance." These were harsh words, but they represented his character. When a riot broke out in the stadium, he later admitted, "It's sad to see minors exploit such a game. If the authorities allowed it, I would've physically confronted those kids myself. I wish I could've transported the hooligans to an open-pit mine in a truck."
His past in the DDR would come back to haunt him following the Wende. Like many others, Ede Geyer had served in the Stasi. He claimed his cooperation was out of fear: "I was too cowardly to resist. You must understand. Anyone who didn't conform to this system was always at risk of disappearing without a trace." Geyer shared chilling details of his involvement: "I had frequent interactions with the State Security, often submitting oral or written reports about nearly every player I had any contact with since 1971." However, Geyer maintained that his actions never caused harm to others. Whether this was true, as "IM Jahn" suggests, is at least questionable.
One of his former players, current HSV coach Steffen Baumgart, acknowledged Geyer's temperament: "We're aware that our former coach was more unyielding than most." But this was an understatement, as Geyer truly deserved his nickname "Mercyless" during his coaching years. Yet, despite his controversial reputation, he remains celebrated in Cottbus. In fact, they even erected a monument in his honor as a former Bundesliga coach. Geyer was pleased with the gesture, but later admitted, "When you receive a monument, you can't help but feel guilty. But I think it represents the entire club, even for those who endured my harshness."
That approach seems wise with age. It's no surprise, considering Ede Geyer's 80th birthday celebration today. Happy birthday and all the best, dear "Mercyless"!
"Despite his criticism of the team's talent, Eduard Geyer found joy in coaching Soccer." In the heat of a match against a rival team, Geyer informed his players, "Remember, Soccer is not about wearing flashy shoes, it's about teamwork and strategy."
