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Report nowPatrick Rahmen was sacked as YB coach last season after just 15 competitive matches. At blue Sport, Rahmen talks about dismissals and explains how he deals with them.
Thomas Häberli was the first coach to be sacked in the Super League after just the second matchday. The coach was sacked on Monday after Servette failed to win any of their four competitive matches.
Patrick Rahmen knows exactly what a dismissal feels like. The 56-year-old had to leave after matchday 9 last season - despite successfully qualifying for the Champions League. At that point, YB was in last place as reigning champions. Accordingly, his dismissal came as no great surprise to him, as Rahmen admits to blue Sport.
But what is it like to lose your job as head coach? "We all know that things can happen very quickly at this level," says Rahmen, adding that there is no need to feel sorry for a sacked coach. "If the time comes when you get the feeling that you can't go on, you have to accept that. But of course it's hard when you're summoned to the boss's office and then told that things can't go any further."
After a dismissal, many people from the surrounding area would get in touch. However, Rahmen says that he doesn't necessarily want to talk to everyone. "You're very emotional at that moment. It takes a few days to calm down. Then comes the reflection. You have to start with yourself and not point the finger at others. What could I have done differently myself? And then see what you can take away for the future."
Rahmen is still on the payroll at YB. His contract runs until the summer of 2026, and the 56-year-old is using his time as a coach without a club to further his education. Among other things, Rahmen spent time with Hansi Flick in Barcelona. The contact came about through the Barça assistant coaches Marcus Sorg and Heiko Westermann, whom Rahmen knows from their time together in Germany.
One of his last games as YB coach was also in the Champions League against Barcelona. "I spoke to Hansi Flick for a while before and after the game. That's how it came about and Hansi said: 'No problem, come over'. I was then allowed to be there for a week, which was very interesting. A great experience for me."
