The man with the mustache balls is for many still today, the face of German hand – although he has stood for six years in the Handball alone. Heiner Brand is celebrating on Wednesday the 65. Birthday.
On the big spotlight Heiner Brand can do without. 65. Birthday on Wednesday in the ice hockey world champion and long-standing national coach is rather calm: “nothing Big is planned. We will drink a toast in a circle of family and maybe a couple of good friends.” The more private the framework for his special day fits into the picture. Six years after his retirement as national coach, it’s the man with the distinctive moustache hard for me to avoid the Public. The professional Handball for a long time a fixture of his life, has lost much of its importance. “I’m from the time when I stopped, no, a lot felt the desire to sit on the bench,” says Brand. Games of the national team, he was following only if the calendar zulässe it: “I don’t give my plans then.” With football, he has just and to: as an expert of the TV-transmitter Sky. In addition, fire holds talks with companies on team building and leadership style. “In addition, I go to the gym and play Golf. Sometimes you’re amazed that the day is too short,” says Brand.
Credit for the car instead of salary
Fire (2.v.r.) in the world Cup final in 1978 against Russia
The first steps as a player, Heiner Brand made in his home town of Gummersbach. Because his two older brothers for the VfL went hunting for goals, he has little choice. At the age of seven he joined the club. When he debuted years later, in the Bundesliga team of VfL, he received at first no salary, but a loan for a car in the amount of 1500 marks. He had to bother welshing on the 100 per month Mark driving money. It was a good investment of the Association: fire, the German championship four times, the DHB took with “his” VfL as a player six times-Cup, and also at the international level, many of the titles. In 1978, he was with the of Vlado Stenzel trained the German national team, champion of the world.
World Cup Triumph in their own country
This feat succeeded him later as a Federal trainer. From 1997 to 2011, he led the DHB-selection back to the top. After second places at the European Championships in 2002 and the world Cup in 2003, his Team won in 2004 the European championship and, a little later, in Athens, the Olympic silver medal. At the latest, the world Cup victory in 2007 in their own country, made a fire, according to the former Handball Stars Stefan Kretschmar to the “figure of light” and brought him – in reference to the football”Kaiser” Franz Beckenbauer-the unofficial title of “basketball Emperor”.
Unforgettable: The Triumph of the German team at the world Cup in their own country, 2007
Radio silence to the DHB
For all the merits of the German Handball Heiner Brands relationship with the German handball Federation (DHB) is cooled in the past few years. Since the in Public held dispute with his former Co-Trainer, the today, DHB Vice President Bob Hanning radio silence. The allegation that he had sought a pension contract with the DHB, upset him until today. “I had offered the then-President Bernhard Bauer, only to help him – volunteers,” says Brand.
sn/sw (dpa, sid)