Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre gives an interesting interview

There is a lot of confusion about new Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre. While some claim that he is the ideal coach for BVB’s current crop, others claim he plays a boring brand of football.

This interview should help fans critique and form an opinion on the coach and his potential philosophy at the club. We will take some of the most interesting answers given by the coach and try to dissect them in order to analyze his approach to strategy and tactics.

So without further ado, let’s begin!

"Lucien Favre, what do you like most about football?The ball itself. I’m kind of in love with the ball. As soon as I see a ball, I have to play with it. Even today – during the training sessions I play with the ball as soon as I see one. I juggle a bit and have a lot of fun. To me, the ball is like a magnet. It always attracts me."

Honestly, I love this answer. It’s called “football” for a reason. In football, having the ball is imperative. Many systems have been developed to counter a lack of possession but they’re not the true embodiment of the sport.

Favre 1-0 Haters.

"In your opinion, what has changed tactically over the past 10 to 15 years?Not so much. As far as the game systems are concerned, they are adapted during the game. For example, you start with a 4-3-3 system and after ten minutes it becomes a 3-4-3 or a 3-4-1-2, which was not the case a few years ago, because you usually kept the same system for ninety minutes. By this point, all possible systems have been tried out. Accordingly, it is impossible to invent new systems."

I disagree. Football is constantly coming up with variations of existing systems and each of them has its own benefits. If a strategy can bring something new to the table, then it’s no longer a variation and takes a whole new life. A creative coach will always come up with new ways to exploit space during games and that’s what separates the mediocre ones from those who are elite. Pep Guardiola is a madman when it comes to planning his games. Former players are always commending his work ethic and some say that he would spend hours trying to plan a players position within ten meters of the original plan. That’s precision and preparation at its finest.

"Which areas – training, player development – have the most potential?There are some. To make the game even faster, you first have to have some game intelligence. Then comes technique. In order to meet the requirements, you also have to be in top condition. In my opinion, the greatest potential in training lies in the technical field. I think that many clubs do not necessarily work well in this area. For example, not every player is able to control the ball at maximum speed and then immediately play a long, precise diagonal ball forward. If you master it, your opponent will be overwhelmed. This way you can make the game better and faster. Or when you pass a great pass forward at top speed to surprise your opponent, that’s also something I like. A modern player should be two-footed. The biggest construction site is definitely on the technical side. There is still much room for improvement."

Another positive answer from the coach. The fact that he places footballing IQ and technique over physical attributes suggests a more cerebral approach to games. Considering BVB has several youngsters on the roster, a technical approach will go a long way in instilling the belief that technique and intelligence are above all else. Many laud the Premier League for its physicality but their European results have painted a different picture. La Liga has always been focused on technique and it shows in their performance continentally.

"How about the analysis of opponents and matches. Do you believe that the game is still more scientific or technologized?It’s not really my thing. It’s important to me that the game remains simple. You shouldn’t complicate this sport, because otherwise the spectators will stay away. Only technique makes the game faster and more intense. If you’re technically limited, you’ll have a lot of trouble keeping up at the highest level. To do this, you have to anticipate quickly and be quick to act. I still see many players today who have difficulties when the ball flies and has to be stopped. Many players have a lot of deficits.You trust video analysis.To leave nothing to chance. The most important thing about the videos is to analyze our last game in detail. There’s a lot of things you can improve on. Then comes the analysis of the future opponent: how he plays, what are his strengths, weaknesses and so on. Even if we win 5-0, there is always something to analyse in order to move forward individually and as a team."

While I am a strong advocate of data analytics in football, I can understand that different coaches have different approaches to their games. While numbers speak a lot of truth, they can be misleading when taken out of context and Favre seems to be ignoring that possibility all together.

The following answer is positive and optimistic. At least we know he does his research before games and the fans can be content in the knowledge that their coach has done his research.

"Did a trainer inspire you in particular?The coach who inspired me most was Johan Cruyff; already as a player and later as coach of FC Barcelona. I also appreciate coaches like Arsène Wenger and Christian Gourcuff at Stade Rennes. We have very good contact. When I was training youth teams, I used my free time to visit various trainers: In Wenger’s early days at Arsenal, I was also a guest of Raymond Goethals in Belgium, Ottmar Hitzfeld at Bayern and especially Cruyff in Barcelona in 1993. I was there for two weeks. But I had already observed his work before, how he let Barça play, how agile his eleven acted, with or without a ball, anticipation and so on. Telê Santana as Brazil coach also impressed me. He was fantastic.You also seem to appreciate Pep Guardiola.Pep is the logical successor of Johan Cruyff. In 1993 at Barça he was the midfield strategist there. He was very intelligent. If a player has a high level of intelligence, then he has a good chance of becoming a good coach. I remember the first hour of the first leg of the Round of 16 at Juventus Turin (2-2) in February 2016, when Juve barely saw the ball because Bayern had played an extremely high pressure. Guardiola had also changed his system during the game. As a coach, he’s one of the best.But isn’t he overdoing it with his passing?Pep attaches great importance to the possession of the ball, just like I do. I’m not interested in possession of the ball just for it’s own sake, though. When in possession, there should be a lot of movement to try to score a goal. I’m a fan of possession."

The above answers are probably the most important of the lot. It explains what the fans are getting with Favre. He’s a possession-oriented coach which is great. He is also not going to keep possession for the sake of it, la Bosz.

Borussia Dortmund is in dire need of a positive coach and it appears that the fans have enough reasons to be excited for next season.

The rest of the interview was mostly personal and can be read here.

The translated version with corrections can be read in this thread.