André Breitenreiter is not one of those soccer teachers who store their household items in a container.

For example, Armin Veh, the former master coach at VfB Stuttgart, kept it that way for a long time in order to be able to react flexibly to life as a modern migrant worker.

He always had a table, cupboard, bed, sofa and, most importantly, an espresso machine stowed away quickly and easily at hand.

Breitenreiter, on the other hand, cemented the center of his life, so to speak, last summer. The 48-year-old was finally able to move into his new house in Hanover. "But these days I am really living in there with the family for the first time," he says on the phone. “That's great.” But also unfamiliar, because he has been living in Switzerland since July 1st and coaches FC Zurich in the top Swiss league - it is his first coaching position in two and a half years.

The former Bundesliga professional lives in a furnished apartment on Lake Zurich.

But not only in view of the picturesque landscape and the sophisticated culinary art, he feels right at home there, but also because he can look back on a fairly successful first half of the season.

Breitenreiter, who was head coach at Hannover 96 until his resignation in January 2019, surprisingly led FCZ to the top of the table after three unsuccessful years.

The lead over FC Basel is seven points.

Viral video with Breitenreiter

“I'm enjoying the moment,” says Breitenreiter, “so far the team has implemented all of our specifications perfectly.” In the Swiss football world, they are all puzzling as to how he managed the amazing upswing. Because the traditional club has only just barely prevented relegation in recent years - with an almost identical squad. And suddenly the FCZ is playing the most beautiful and at the same time most successful football. Brave, offensive, with a lot of urge to score. FC Zurich is another attraction in the city, its games a spectacle. It is noticeable that Breitenreiter has made almost every player better. Assan Ceesay, for example, suddenly shoots goal after goal.

In order to understand why the former striker works so well at FC Zurich and also enjoys high recognition among players, you have to go back to the time of his isolation.

Although he was double vaccinated, Breitenreiter fell ill with Covid-19 in November.

It has a mild course.

Instead of in the stadium, he experiences the 1-0 victory over champions Bern from the living room.

Shortly afterwards, a video spreads across the Internet.

Breitenreiter can then be seen in the little film on the screen in the cabin.

His players listen to him reverently at first.

He says, “Big compliment.

I almost died here at home.

It was definitely not the best game, but nobody cares. ”When he promised his pros two days off, they suddenly jump around in the dressing room, excited and singing like little children on their sixth birthday.