The Australia international Amini was in the books of Dortmund from 2011 to 2015. However, he did not enter the first team instead of playing for the second team under the direction of Wagner, now head coach at Schalke.
David Wagner’s strong training methods made Amini the best footballer
Former BVB player Mustafa Amini has revealed that his former coach, David Wagner’s robust training methods, including 4 am morning starts and runs up and down hills for 90 minutes. The Australia international Amini was in the books of Dortmund from 2011 to 2015. However, he did not enter the first team instead of playing for the second team under the direction of Wagner, now head coach at Schalke. Amini, who currently plays for the Danish club Aarhus GF, said that initially, he struggled to adapt to Wagner’s high-intensity training methods. Still, in the end, they made him the best footballer.
Speaking to reporters, Amini said: “He was very strict and made sure that he got what he wanted. I still remember how we lost the friendly game against the teams of the fourth or fifth division. The next morning we were called to be at the training ground at 4 am.
Jurgen Klopp has praised by Amini with his managerial abilities
“We ran uphill with medicine balls for an hour and a half. That shows the hardness of German football. In one of my first games for the second team against Munster I came, I made a mistake, we lost the match at the end, and Wagner yelled at me on the pitch. The next day, he said that it could be hard for me because I’m Australian and not used to German culture. While Amini never played for Dortmund’s first team after moving from the A-League club Central Coast Mariners in 2011, he contacted former manager Jürgen Klopp, now in charge of Premier League champions Liverpool. The midfielder is full of praise for Klopp’s human managerial abilities, which he said were more personal than any other coaching methods he came beyond.
Mustafa said: “The first time I met him in the dressing room.” Amini remembers how he shook Dede’s hand as if they were best friends. “I never saw a coach who would do this. Usually, they are serious and distant. He always gave hugs before to the players. Once, he asked me to enter his office. We sat there for over an hour and talked about football and life in general. For a coach of his standard, who was unusual, but he shows what type of person he is.” Comparing Klopp and Wagner, Amini said that there was much to respect in both coaches, and they both realized the best in their footballers. He said: “With both managers, the players performed their absolute maximum. They are nice, but not easy.
If they don’t get what they want, you will probably know about it. They are always honest with you, while some managers lack this honesty.”