Indian Origin Robin Dutt: A Chance I couldn't turn down!

To many it came as surprise when first rumours came out that Robin Dutt could be a candidate for the post of Director of Sports at the German Football Association (DFB), then many expected the DFB to look for a high profile name rather then someone qualified for the post and with amateur and Bundesliga experience.

In the end the DFB decided to look for option two and then the name Robin Dutt came-up. In less then two weeks everything was worked out and today the DFB presented their new Director of Sports to the media and public.

For Robin Dutt initially it came as a surprise that the DFB had approached him to become Director of Sports, some would call this position Technical Director. But Robin said at the press conference after giving the post some thought it was an chance which he could not turn down though he will now be away from everyday work with a team on the field as a coach.

Robin Dutt said about his appointment, "To take on this exciting task at the DFB has a special meaning for me. I look forward to working with national coach Joachim Löw and all other DFB coaches. And to me it is an incredibly interesting challenge to develop the biggest talents of our country."

What still many in Germany do not know is that Robin Dutt is of Indian origin, his father is a Bengali and his mother is German. He was born in Cologne but early in his life his father shifted to southwest Germany and that is were he would stay before becoming a coach at SC Freiburg, whom he got promoted to the Bundesliga and then Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

Robin Dutt will officially join the DFB on August 1, 2012 and has signed a four year contract.


Here a link to an older blog post of mine from 2010: Robin Dutt: An Indo-German success story .

Robin Dutt appointed as Germany's new Director of Sports!

Indian origin Robin Dutt was today presented by the German Football Association (DFB) at a press conference at their headquarters in Frankfurt as their new Director of Sports. Dutt will officially join the DFB on August 1, 2012 and has signed a four year contract.

Robin Dutt replaces Matthias Sammer who made a surprise exit as Director of Sports on July 2 when he joined Bundesliga giants FC Bayern Munich. Since then the DFB has been on the lookout for a suitable replacement and now Indian origin Robin Dutt has been appointed as the second-ever Director of Sports with Sammer having been the first one in the job which was only created in 2006.

47 year old Robin Dutt belongs to the new bread of concept coaches, who work to improve their players day-by-day. A concept which is also followed at the DFB in their youth system under Matthias Sammer and under senior national coach Joachim Löw.

In his new position Dutt will be responsible for the entire youth and talent development as well as the optimization of the Coaches Education at the DFB, while he is also responsibe of the management and control of the German Youth coaches.

Robin Dutt said about his appointment, "To take on this exciting task at the DFB has a special meaning for me. I look forward to working with national coach Joachim Löw and all other DFB coaches. And to me it is an incredibly interesting challenge to develop the greatest talents of our country."

DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach said, "I am pleased that we can present it in such a short span of time a renowned Bundesliga expert for this important position. I am sure that Robin Dutt with all his qualities will continue the successful work of Matthias Sammer and through his experience bring new impetus to the job."


Here a link to an older blog post of mine from 2010: Robin Dutt: An Indo-German success story .

Could Robin Dutt be Germany's new Director of Sports?

Matthias Sammer made a surprise exit as Director of Sports of the German Football Association (DFB) on July 2 when he joined Bundesliga giants FC Bayern Munich. Since then the DFB has been on the lookout for a suitable replacement and now Indian origin Robin Dutt is said to be a potential candidate.

After the initial show the DFB is said to now intensify their search with top candidate Oliver Kahn turning down the offer with 1.Kaiserslautern CEO Stefan Kuntz and Robin Dutt now being considered for the job due to their diversified work profiles.

While Stefan Kuntz like Oliver Kahn is a former Germany international with management back; Robin Dutt has never played at the highest level of Germany football, but he made it through the different levels of coaching upto the Bundesliga were he has coached SC Freiburg and Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

47 year old Robin Dutt belongs to the new bread of concept coaches, who work to improve their players day-by-day. A concept which was also followed at the DFB in their youth system under Matthias Sammer. Robin Dutt especially in Freiburg was an attacking minded coach, all factors which could speak for him though his lack of international football for Germany could be a draw back.

Initially DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach had said that the DFB could take month's to appoint a successor to Matthias Sammer, but now the federation is looking to appoint a new Director of Sports before Germany's international friendly against Argentina on August 15.

Coach Robin Dutt: Its important taking time off for private things!

Coach of Indian origin Robin Dutt in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt spoke about lessons he had learned and things he would change after having been fired by Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen on April 1, 2012.

One of the things which he would change at his next club would be that he would take some days off, spend sometime on his hobbies and recreation to recharge his batteries and reduce the pressure through Dutt continued to say that being a football coach in the Bundesliga was his dream job.

Since being fired by Leverkusen in April, Dutt had taken time off football to recharge his batteries and had not given any interviews to stay out of the media attention. About the break he said, "Because I was coaching for 18 years going from job to job I did not have any proper break."

"I was always preparing the next season and was tense," Dutt added.

About his future plans Robin Dutt said he was not looking at coaching options abroad and would wait to see what happens after the start in Germany with him open to options in the Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga.

Why did Robin Dutt fail in Leverkusen?

German Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen fired their Coach of Indian origin Robin Dutt yesterday morning after it became evident that Robin Dutt would not survive the season.

But why did Robin Dutt fail at Bayer 04??? I will try to analyse why it didn't work out and the contract was cancelled after only nine months.

Robin Dutt had joined the Rhineland club last summer from SC Freiburg, where he had coached successfully the last few years. Leverkusen was the biggest coaching assignment of his career so far which Robin pointed that out. When asked in June 2011 about his ambitions with the club Robin said he would like to fulfil the long cherished dream of Bayer 04 Leverkusen to finally win the Bundesliga title.

A then confident Robin Dutt had said at his first press conference, "At Freiburg finishing ninth was a big achievement last season. Here in Leverkusen finishing outside the international spots would be a disaster, Europa League would be average, Champions League would be good and winning a title would be outstanding. That is what I would like to achieve here."

And this was to be one of the reasons for his downfall. The media and fans would questions him from day one as a coach, who came from the small Freiburg with no coaching experience at a major club.

Another problem was Robin Dutt and the star players at the club. In Freiburg Robin had to mainly work with young and upcoming talent, but in Leverkusen he had stars like Michael Ballack, Simon Rolfes or Stefan Kießling to handle. Here he failed miserably then Robin wasn't able to get the dressing room behind him. Also statements in the media like either Rolfes or Ballack will play in midfielder and not together didn't help his cause.

A problem in Leverkusen is also the management. Bayer 04 General Manager Wolfgang Holzhäuser and Director of Sports Rudi Völler have a lot to say, but sometimes should simply not talk to the media. They have created additional problems for the coach with their statements.

But Robin Dutt left on a high then he himself announced his sacking and went on to say, "It hurts at an emotional level but I can understand why those in charge saw fit to use up their last bullet."

Robin Dutt will surely return to coach in the German Bundesliga and he seems to have learned his lessons in Leverkusen which will surely make him an even better coach in the future.

BREAKING NEWS: Bayer Leverkusen have fired Robin Dutt

German Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen have fired Coach of Indian origin Robin Dutt after an eventful nine months in-charge of the Werksklub, the factory club as the football club belonging to the Bayer AG calls itself.

After yesterday's 0-2 loss against Dutt's former club SC Freiburg the writing was on the wall. General Manager Wolgfang Holzhäuser and Director of Sports Rudi Völler left the stands with 30 minutes of the match to go leaving German national coach Joachim Löw behind to finalise the alternative Plan B until the end of the season.

Around 11.30 CET on Sunday morning Robin Dutt himself announced the end of his short coaching stint in Leverkusen. It was a graceful exit by Dutt, who was critical about his own decisions and media interactions. Thereafter Holzhäuser said that from a human angle it was a difficult decision, but one which had to be taken from the clubs point of view.

Thereafter former Finland and Leverkusen centre-back Sami Hyypiä was named as interim team manager until the end of the season with Leverkusen's Under-19 coach Sascha Lewandowski as the coach on his side with the necessary coaching license.

Over the last few weeks one could see Robin Dutt's demission had been coming as the liaison between Bayer 04 and Robin Dutt didn't seem to work. Dutt joined Leverkusen last summer and in his first press conference said that his aim was to win the Bundesliga title with Leverkusen. A big statement knowing that Leverkusen has never won the German title.

Things started on the wrong note as Leverkusen lost their first Round German Cup (DFB Pokal) match against 2.Bundesliga side Dynamo Dresden 3-4 in extra-time after leading 3-0. In the UEFA Champions League the club did well to reach the pre-quarterfinals with the highlight being a 2-1 win against Chelsea FC, but then came the 1-7 drubbing by FC Barcelona.

In the Bundesliga the club had mixed results with the low point being a defeat against archrivals FC Cologne, while the high was a victory against Bayern Munich. But then in the last few weeks the club lost four matches in a row and their place in next seasons Europa League was suddenly in danger.

In Germany many say Dutt wasn't able to handle the stars in Leverkusen, he was better in Freiburg in bringing-up young talent. Especially the problems surrounding Michael Ballack and the fans taking sides with the former Germany captain also didn't help Dutt's standing within the club and the team.

Robin Dutt will now take time off football. But one does not have to fear about his future, then Robin Dutt maintains a lot of credibility in German football and we will see him back in the Bundesliga soon.

Robin Dutt returns to Freiburg tonight

Coach of Indian origin Robin Dutt returns to SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga tonight with his current club Bayer 04 Leverkusen. And it will be an emotional return for Dutt, who worked four years for the Breisgau club before making the move to the Rhine club in the summer.

In Freiburg Robin Dutt successfully worked for four years to make a name for himself after his time in Ditzingen and Stuttgarter Kickers. In the first season they gained promotion to the Bundesliga, then survived two years in the top tier and last year had their best finish in years.

The good work of Robin Dutt didn't go unnoticed with clubs in Hamburger SV and Hannover 96 showing interest in the coach, but in the end it was Leverkusen who signed him last summer. And for Dutt it was a big move to the Bundesliga runners-up, who are playing UEFA Champions League this season.

So far it has been a mixed season for Leverkusen, whose biggest problem has been consistency as the team has played some great matches but also disastrous performances. In the Champions League Leverkusen are second to FC Chelsea ahead of Valencia and Genk with chances to reach the pre-quarterfinals, but in the Bundesliga Leverkusen is only ninth with 14 points from 10 matches. And that isn't acceptable to the Bayer management, who have ambitions to challenge for the title or at least the Champions League places.

A win at his old club is therefore a must for Robin Dutt tonight...

Robin Dutt starts work at Bayer Leverkusen

Last seasons Bundesliga runners-up Bayer 04 Leverkusen yesterday introduced their new coach Robin Dutt at a press conference to the media before Robin Dutt held his first coaching session at his new club infront of 500 interested fans.

The Coach of Indian origin had joined the Rhineland club this summer from SC Freiburg, where he had coached successfully the last few years. Leverkusen is the biggest coaching assignment of his career so far and Robin pointed that out. When asked about his ambitions with the club he said he would like to fulfil the long cherished dream of Bayer 04 Leverkusen to finally win the Bundesliga title.

A confident Robin Dutt explained, "At Freiburg finishing ninth was a big achievement last season. Here in Leverkusen finishing outside the international spots would be a disaster, Europa League would be average, Champions League would be good and winning a title would be outstanding. That is what I would like to achieve here."

The 46 year old was born in Cologne, which is on the other side of the Rhine from Leverkusen, though he spend most of his life around the Stuttgart area before moving to Freiburg.

Robin Dutt belongs to the new generation of coaches. When asked about his style of football Robin said, "We should not be predictable in our game. There is no tactical system which remains the same for 60 matches."

It is clear Robin wants to be flexible in the way his team plays and prepare his side for different situations throughout the season. Other key aspects of his approach are respect and discipline.

One can only wish him all the best at Bayer 04 Leverkusen!

Bundesliga Finale: Dutt vs. Heynckes

Saturday will be the 34th and final match day of the 2010/11 German Bundesliga season with an interesting and often intense season coming to an end. But it isn't all over yet with the fight against relegation and for the final direct spot for the UEFA Champions League still on.

And there is a very interesting clash between SC Freiburg and Bayer 04 Leverkusen where the two coaches - Robin Dutt and Jupp Heynckes will be coaching for their present clubs, but both might at the very back of their mind have a thought about next season.

Robin Dutt is coaching his final game for SC Freiburg before he switches over to Bayer 04 Leverkusen and a win against his future club could deny him Champions League football next season, while on the other side Jupp Heynckes will be coaching Bayer 04 Leverkusen for the last time before returning for a third time to FC Bayern Munich and if he wins with Bayer 04 then Bayern Munich will have to go into the Champions League qualifiers.

The match is also a meeting of the generations. The seasoned Jupp Heynckes turns 66 next Monday and has been a very successful coach over the last three decades; while 46 year old Robin Dutt belongs to a different coaching generation. Dutt is termed as a concept coach like Borussia Dortmund's champion coach Juergen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel of FSV Mainz 05.

Talking about the situation Robin Dutt said, "I don't have a contractual obligation to give my best for SC Freiburg, but rather an emotional one. I guess Leverkusen will want to have coach who is committed until the last day and they are getting one."

Heynckes uttered similar sentiments by saying that if he was already thinking about his new club, then Bayern Munich would be signing the wrong coach.

But for Leverkusen the game is also about financial stability then not making it as Bundesliga second into the Champions League would be a loss of seven to 10 Million Euros as the Champions League qualifiers are always a gamble as they could face a tough opponent.

Leverkusen: Robin Dutt to replace Heynckes

Following a meeting in the morning between Jupp Heynckes, the clubs general manager Wolfgang Holzhauser and director of sports Rudi Voeller Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen officially confirmed what had been making headlines over the weekend that their 65 year old coach Jupp Heynckes would leave the club at the end of the season and that 46 year old Robin Dutt, who happens to be of Indian origin, would take over from him.

The club had offered Heynckes a one year extension, while Heynckes wanted to extend his contract by a couple of years and then there is also an offer from his former club FC Bayern Munich on the table. But at the moment it is not clear if Heynckes will take the Bayern Munich offer or retire from active coaching.

Jupp Heynckes commented on his decision, "Bayer 04 Leverkusen are a well led club with a great team. It was hard for me to make this decision. I will put all of my power into securing the second rank and qualifying for the Champions League directly."

Knowing that Heynckes could be leaving at the end of the season Bayer 04's management had been working in the background to secure a suitable replacement. And the decision was taken to bring in Robin Dutt, who is currently successfully coaching SC Freiburg. Dutt has been given a two year contract and with his contract at Freiburg running until 2012, Leverkusen will have to pay the southwest German side some compensation.

Robin Dutt meanwhile said about his new upcoming assignment, "I'm very much looking forward to my new challenge in Leverkusen. I will work with a team that has been coached outstandingly by Jupp Heynckes. I agree with the football philosophy shared by Wolfgang Holzhäuser and Rudi Völler."

For Robin Dutt, who has a Bengali father, his new coaching assignment will be the biggest of his coaching career so far and it will bring him back to the Rhineland, where he was born on the other side of the Rhine in Cologne.


Here a link to an older blog post of mine: Robin Dutt: An Indo-German success story .

Bundesliga: Robin Dutt much sought after

Coach of Indian origin Robin Dutt has been making positive news with his Bundesliga club SC Freiburg. The club from the southwest of Germany are currently eighth in the league table with 37 points, are unlikely to have anything to do with the relegation battle and Dutt has developed one of the league's top strikers in Papiss Demba Cissé.

These facts have brought the clubs coach in the focus on bigger Bundesliga sides who are looking at possible replacements in the summer. While Robin Dutt has denied in a press conference that he is set to leave in the summer, he has also said that it would be better for a club if their coach leaves for a transfer fee rather then a pay off. And if possible he would like to see himself leave cash strapped Freiburg for a fee, if in the summer he left open.

Robin Dutt is currently being linked with two Bundesliga jobs, those at Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Schalke 04. While Bayer 04's seasoned coach Jupp Heynckes could either retire or return to FC Bayern Munich, the future of Schalke coach Felix Magath also looks bleak. And both clubs are looking at the option of appointing Dutt as their new coach.

It has been written by German tabloid Bild that Dutt even has a pre-contract in place with Bayer 04 Leverkusen and an exit clause with Freiburg, but he continues to deny that. Dutt had earlier been linked to the coaching jobs with Hannover 96, Hamburger SV and VfB Stuttgart. One will have to see if he remains Freiburg coach or moves on in the summer.

Robin Dutt: An Indo-German success story

Have you heard of Robin Dutt the chief coach of German Bundesliga club SC Freiburg? Sounds a little Indian doesn't he? Actually Robin is half-Indian and half-German, and as the surname would suggest his father is of Indian origin, from Bengal to be precise.

Robin was born in 1965 in Cologne and was mainly brought-up in the southwest of Germany, in the Stuttgart region. As a football player he never made it big, playing amateur football in the fifth, sixth, seventh divisions; but as a coach he is working at the highest possible level - in the Bundesliga, the premier division of German football. But it was a long way to get to the top tier and the journey isn't over yet then at the age of 45 Robin Dutt is still young and could go on to coach for another two decades or even more.

Robin's coaching career started with the TSG Leonberg whom he coached until 1999, while he was winding down his playing career and they gained promotion to the next higher division in the last year. He then joined TSF Ditzingen, first as their second team coach and then coaching the first team. This brought him for the first time into the limelight locally and he then went on to join former Bundesliga side Stuttgarter Kickers as their second team coach in summer 2002. Doing good work at the club, the Kickers gave Robin a chance as their first team coach on Oktober 28, 2003 and he would guide the club well with a young team in the Regionalliga (third division) in difficult times as the club didn't have necessary funds. The highlight came in the 2006/07 season when the Kickers beat Bundesliga side Hamburger SV 4-3 in extra time in the German Cup.

The name Robin Dutt was suddenly known across Germany. And the first offers from Bundesliga clubs came in. But Robin decided to take up the job at 2.Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in summer 2007. It was the end of an era as previous coach Volker Finke had coached Freiburg for 16 years, a record in German professional football. The going initially wasn't easy for Robin, but in year two he was able to win the 2.Bundesliga title and Freiburg was back in the Bundesliga after four years. Last season they survived the relegation battle and so far they have had a good solid start to their 2010/11 season.

Robin is realistic with what he can achieve with Freiburg, he knows it is a club which develops talent and he has proven at the clubs he has worked so far that he is able to handle youngsters.

Would Robin ever coach in India? We have had this conversation and he once told me, unlikely a club but coaching Team India one day would surely be a highlight of his coaching career. But Robin is still in his early days in professional football in Germany, so India might not become a topic for him in the next decade or so.