Max Merkel, better known as Mr. Látigo

Last update 8 March, 2021 por Alberto Llopis

Max Merkel he was one of the toughest coaches in the old school of European football. If one takes a look at the new soccer sciences that have brought new methods of work and training and is trained with them and then take a look back and see how soccer was worked decades ago, possibly more than one, it would throw the hands to the head.

Physical sessions without the ball with tasks almost more typical of a military training than of soccer, absence of material that is working today, etc. Well then, in that football, as rough as bizarre and romantic, there was a man who won almost everything and that it was the hardest moment. We talk like no, de Max Merkel, better known as Mr Whip.

Max Merkel and the legend of Mr. Whip

Nacido en 1918 not Vienna, Max Merkel had a career worth remembering. It was footballer, Coach and military, possibly this facet, applied a few methods to his work as a coach which cost him the nickname of Mr. Látigo. He was international with Germany and Austria once the Second World War.

As a coach, He directed between 1954 y 1983 to numerous teams including Rapid de Viena, Borussia Dortmund, Munich 1860, Sevilla, Atlético de Madrid, Schalke 04, Karlsruhe SC, Zurich and for the Netherlands among others. He won the league in three different countries, in Austria with Rapid, in Germany with Munich 1860 and Nuremberg and Spain with Atletico Madrid.

The man of military training applied to football

But if anything happened to history was its change in the conception of soccer practice, something soft at that time. Introduced martial methods more physical load, nothing to do with the peaceful practice of the average footballer of the time, stocky and little worked by nature. His methods and a photo of him at a charity festival dressed as a tamer with whip in hand did the rest to earn him the nickname of Mr. Látigo.

He was controversial in Seville and Madrid where his style and character clashed with modes and how to live the Spain of the time. Sin embargo, both clubs, He took full advantage and took them to the top despite leaving numerous anecdotes like the one in which he left lying players in the Casa de Campo de Madrid to return to the stadium running. Finally, Mr. Látigo, He left this world 2006, and in the XXI century to 88 years thus becoming football history.