Saturday, May 24, 2025

Max Merkel, better known as Mr. Látigo

Last update 8 March, 2021 by 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, of Max Merkel, better known as Mr Whip.

Max Merkel
Max Merkel nicknamed Mister Látigo was one of the toughest football coaches of the 70. PHOTO: Brand

Max Merkel and the legend of Mr. Whip

Born in 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.

Mr Látigo tenía unos medios muy poco comunes para su tiempo.
Mr Latigo had a very unusual means for time.

As a coach, He directed between 1954 y 1983 to numerous teams including Fast from Vienna, 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. However, 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.

Así entrenaba Mr Látigo al Atlético de Madrid en los 70.
Mr Latigo and coached Atletico Madrid in 70. PHOTO: The country

Hot this week

Players who went to stars and ended estrellados

The history of football is full of players that ...

The best Mexican soccer players in history

Let's try to review who the best players are....

Esquerdinha's time at Real Zaragoza

Real Zaragoza fans will surely remember the ...

Indoor stadiums in the world of football: fields with sunroofs

How many covered stadiums are there in the world? Traditionally, he...

Antonio Cassano, one of the worst signings in the history of Real Madrid

Antonio Cassano is known as one of the players ...

The forgotten story of futuristic and technological equipment

Soccer and science fiction may seem two ...

Cuauthémoc Blanco: one of the best players in the history of Mexico

Cuauthémoc Blanco is one of the best players of ...

Montevideo, the world capital of football

Montevideo, donde el fútbol se respira en cada rincón Si...

Tato Abbey: "I am not aware of being a traditional football icon"

The former CD Logroñés player, Atlético de Madrid and ...

Angel Correa: The goodbye of an emblem of Atlético de Madrid after a decade

After ten seasons full of delivery, commitment and ...

Players and coaches with more declines, jinxes of the Spanish League

Who are the coaches or players with the most relegations?,...

The best central defenders in the history of Valencia

Who are the best centrals in the history of ...

Related Articles

Popular Categories

Five retro football game

How many retro soccer video games do you remember?? And possibly even a sign that we grow older, In Hanged by football we are....

Rafa Benitez's Valencia, the best team in club history

Valencia's Rafa Benitez, today, the last team to win a league to the two great, Real Madrid and....
error: Content is protected !!