After twelve years at Ratingen 04/19, Martin Hasenpflug is enjoying his break from coaching. The 49-year-old is traveling around Vietnam, but also has concrete plans for coaching.
After twelve years in various roles at Ratingen 04/19, Martin Hasenpflug has had other priorities for some time now: the 49-year-old writes books, has developed an app, and is traveling the world. “I devoted my whole life to soccer and saw nothing of the world. Now I’m visiting exotic places,” he says.
Forecasting reached him on Tuesday morning, German time, in Vietnam, more precisely in Da Nang. The former head coach of Ratingen is currently spending three months there, a “break from Germany,” as he says.
“When I stopped coaching in Ratingen (at the end of April 2024, ed.), I found my passport again. I had applied for it five years ago and never used it. I wanted to make up for that. As long as I’m not with a club, I can do that, and that’s what I’m doing,“ he says, recounting his travel plans: ”I’ve been away for a month and will stay for another two. Vietnam is a big country. I might fly to Cambodia, as I’ve never been there.”
Hasenpflug is enjoying his time off, as is evident from the conversation. Accordingly, he is currently putting a coaching comeback on the back burner. “It wouldn’t have made sense to accept anything when I’m away for so long. I’m postponing that until the new season. I’ve seen a lot of games in the current season because I am and always will be crazy about soccer. I’ve had a few inquiries, but it wouldn’t make much sense at the moment.”
When selecting new projects, he makes sure that they are a good fit for him. “I’m generally open to anything. First and foremost, I’ve always been a coach. Of course, I can imagine doing other things. But money isn’t relevant to me because I’m financially independent. I’m not aiming for a big coaching career. It should just be fun.”
An important criterion: sustainability. “It has to be right. I want something long-term. When I take on a new job, I want to be able to identify with it completely.” It’s not important which league the clubs are in. What matters is that the job appeals to him.
Hasenpflug will therefore be on soccer withdrawal until at least the summer, although that’s not entirely true even on the other side of the world. “The Vietnamese league doesn’t start again until the end of January. The U23 Asian Cup is currently underway, which I’m following on TV. But I will definitely go and watch a league game in Da Nang.”