It would not be an understatement to say Jonathan Harding authored one of my favourite football books to date in “Mensch” which appraised the story of the German coaching revolution and the person behind the coach. However as Jonathan explains here once he began to scratch an itch he discovered the longing for plenty of coaches to discover a connection that runs deeper than just winning or losing. In his new book “Soul” Jonathan grapples with the idea that maybe professional sports can care a lot more for their people. Although the concerns we speak of are unwelcome guests there ought to be an urgency to address these now before they tear down the remaining value structures of the game which we adore. What followed was a conversation that perhaps both of us did not want but was ultimately needed. Among what we discussed included;

- The origins of Mensch.

- What exactly is a “menschenfanger”?

- Are Klopp, Tuchel & Nagelsmann unrealistic ideals to aspire towards for young German coaches?

- Are the traditional German values such as hard work & commitment to achieving excellence good or bad virtues?

- What is prohibiting innovation in German football?

- Does professional sport care about people?

- Character development beyond 90 minutes.

- The over professionalisation of children in academies.

Timestamps;

00:00 - 08:05 - Mensch

08:06 - 15:17 - Grand Expectations

15:18 - 24:58 - Rulebreakers