Cyber training in shutdown: Hansi Flick explains how Bayern Munich is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic

Almost a week has passed without live sports, and it is very evident that the football community, just like any other, is suffering a lot from the coronavirus pandemic. With the suspension of all major leagues and tournaments, clubs and football organisations are currently going through a major crisis. In an interview given to FCBayern, Hansi Flick and other members of Bayern Munich discussed how they are dealing with the current scenario.

Cyber training

In the absence of team training sessions, Bavarians are doing more than just toilet-paper roll challenge at their homes. They completed their first session of “cyber training” led by Hansi Flick on Wednesday. The coach is happy that everyone is doing their part and glad he can be in contact with the squad daily. He said:

We all have to try to deal with the situation in a positive way, us coaches, our entire performance team, the players. Yesterday at 11 am, we had our first “Cyber Training”, where the team was coached remotely. Everyone was motivated, everyone did very well. It will be important that we are in contact with one another daily.

Cyber training sessions are held via video calls lasting 75 to 90 minutes. Flick also mentioned that the team is prepared for anything that might happen, including the possibility of a complete lockdown. The team needs to accept the situation and act according to it just like everyone else in the country and around the world. He gave an insight into how their session works:

I have already started to exchange information with small groups of players via video calls. Our team of coaches has planned sessions that can last 90 minutes or 75 minutes, depending on the training focus. Yesterday the focus was on stability training. At the end, there was an intensive session on the spinning bike. Basically we will switch between basic endurance and high-intensity interval training, plus strength training. Everybody can see the coach on their tablet, so they can also do all the exercises we broadcast from Säbener Strasse.

Supporting the shutdown

COVID-19 cases have soared past ten thousand in the country, so anything even remotely risky should be avoided at all costs. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge assured fans that the club will do everything on their part to help prevent the virus from spreading. He said:

FC Bayern supports every measure taken by the Bavarian government because at present there can only be one goal for us all: To slow down the spread of the coronavirus. Our players are currently training from home. We are also trying to set an example here because I have the feeling that there are still people who may not have fully grasped the gravity of the situation.

Fitness and recovery on tracks

Just like Hansi Flick, Bayern’s head fitness coach Dr. Holger Broich is optimistic about helping the squad train and maintain their fitness just as well as how they do during team training sessions. He explained that the injured players will have a normal recovery and there is nothing to worry about regarding the situation:

As far as the team is concerned, we must now focus on training that maintains their condition. Fitness can be well controlled virtually with physical exercise, strength and endurance training. The guys are equipped with the fitness recording clocks. That means we get all relevant data of each player, such as the heart rate, on our monitors at Säbener Straße. Compiling the performance data is unproblematic with this system, but only the athletic data. The players talked to each other, exchanging ideas. That’s why the video training sessions are an important social experience at this time too.

The pandemic and the crisis it has brought will definitely change the world and the effects of it will last for a long time. It is very good to see the team finding ways to tackle all the challenges with perseverance and optimism.