Goalkeeping coaches’ meeting at the BayArena: Focus on fitness training

linking the professional and youth sectors

At the start of the meeting, which lasted several hours, DFB goalkeeping coordinator Marc Ziegler expressed his “heartfelt thanks to Bayer 04, especially to David [Thiel] and Jan [Conradi, assistant goalkeeping coach], for allowing us to be here in Leverkusen once again. Our experiences over the past few years have been terrific – let’s keep it going!"

In addition to the numerous goalkeeping coaches from the top three professional leagues, goalkeeping coaches from the youth performance centres also took part in the meeting for the first time this year. Thiel, who has been at Bayer 04 since 1994, explained the thinking behind it: “Our aim is to foster very close links between the goalkeeping coaching teams at professional and youth level at these meetings, just as we do here in Leverkusen.” Representing Bayer 04 was, amongst others, U19s goalkeeping coach Marco Kostmann, who has many years’ experience at both professional and youth level.

Müller: "A sport within a sport"

Following the opening remarks by Ziegler and Thiel, the focus shifted to fitness development strategies for goalkeepers and their implementation. In his presentation, Bayer 04 fitness coach Markus Müller provided insights into the relevant work carried out at the Werkself. A native of Leverkusen who has been working in the field of fitness training since 2022, he stressed: “It's always a great pleasure for me to work with goalkeepers. They are a very approachable group and possess unique individual physical attributes.” Müller added: “Whether physically or mentally, goalkeepers practise one sport within another.”

Working closely together, Thiel, Conradi and Müller have, over the past few months and years, developed a specific concept for goalkeeper training based on three pillars: on-pitch training, which remains the central component, as well as indoor training and load management. As a connecting element between indoor and on-pitch training, Müller also went into more detail about pre-activation: “This involves comprehensive athletic preparation, always with a view to the subsequent training content. Pre-activation is designed to address goalkeeper-specific movement patterns as well as athletic and individual preventive elements.”