Dante talks about his return to FC Bayern: “I feel at home” | OneFootball

Eleven years after his last competitive match as a field player, Dante is back at FC Bayern. The former treble winner is taking over as head coach of the amateur team—and is thrilled about his return to Munich.

Between 2012 and 2015, the Brazilian was one of the key figures in Munich’s central defense. Now he’s returning to the campus, though not as a player, but as the newly appointed head coach of the reserve team. The 42-year-old didn’t take a break after ending his playing career at OGC Nice—he moved right on to the next step.

It’s hardly surprising that he immediately accepted the offer from the German record champions. “When the opportunity came to join Bayern’s amateur team, I didn’t have to think twice,” Dante revealed in an interview with fcbayern.com.

During his playing days, Dante was a mainstay of the team that won the treble in 2012–13. Under Jupp Heynckes, he played in the back four and made 44 appearances across all three competitions that season. In total, the fan favorite played over 133 competitive matches for the Munich club.

Advice from Guardiola and Heynckes

Dante attributes his desire to become a coach himself to a specific encounter: Lucien Favre explained soccer to him in a whole new way in February 2011. “I suddenly wanted to understand so much more—why we do certain things, why we train the way we do, and how I could convey his ideas to my teammates on the field,” the Brazilian recalled.

For seven years, while pursuing his professional career, Dante worked toward earning coaching licenses, traveled to Wales for courses, called coaches, and observed. Pep Guardiola, under whom he played in Munich, also encouraged him. “He motivated me and said I had what it takes,” Dante said. He clearly articulates his goal: to combine Guardiola’s tactical finesse with Heynckes’ leadership skills.

What Dante wants to instill in his players

As head coach, Dante describes workdays that can easily last twelve hours. Above all, he wants to instill professionalism in the young players—“nutrition, sleep, recovery, and focus.”

Photo: Getty Images

“Talent alone isn’t enough. You have to be ready to work hard every day,” he emphasized. At the same time, he wants to give attacking players freedom: “Soccer isn’t a science,” says Dante, but he added: “When you do something, you have to believe in it. Nothing works in soccer without conviction.”

The fact that some of his players never even saw him play as a Bayern pro doesn’t bother him. For Dante, it’s not the past that counts, but what he gives them today. He credits Heynckes with one of his “most important insights”: “A coach is, first and foremost, a human being.”