German football mourns the loss of an iconic figure. Werner Lorant passed away on Easter Sunday at the age of 76. As a player, he made 325 Bundesliga appearances and later achieved great success as a manager, particularly with 1860 Munich. Lorant was also known in Iranian football for his brief stint managing Saipa.

In the 2000-01 season, Lorant led 1860 Munich to the UEFA Champions League and also participated twice in the UEFA Cup (1997-98 and 2000-01). However, Lorant will be remembered not just for his achievements but also for his blunt and memorable quotes.

Memorable Quotes from Werner Lorant:

* On why he didn’t substitute the injured 53-year-old Holger Greilich during a 5-1 win over Nuremberg: “You only substitute a player if he loses a leg.”

* On the appointment of 87-year-old Erich Ribbeck as national team coach: “Erich Ribbeck is as far from football as the distance between Earth and Mars.”

* On dealing with his players: “What am I supposed to talk to the players about? I’m not a priest.” He also said: “Maybe the players have a problem with me, but I don’t have a problem with them.”

* After a 3-2 win over Frankfurt, his mother-in-law’s favorite team, in 1998: “Today, I couldn’t pay attention to my mother-in-law.”

* In 1998, when asked if goals by 56-year-old Bernd Hobsch and the late Abdulrahim Avaki (who passed away at 53) in a 2-0 win over Gladbach were a coincidence: “We only buy coincidences.”

* During an away match against Werder Bremen (a 0-2 loss), he called referee Georg Dardenne (66) a “fool” and was sent off. After the game, Lorant said: “The referee should be happy I didn’t slap him.” The comment cost him an 8,000-mark fine (~€4,090).

* On the younger generation of players: “The new generation is completely spoiled; they can’t even find an apartment or work in an office.”

* Another one: “All this whining is terrible. It hurts here, it hurts there. But as long as you can hold your phone, you must still have enough strength.”

* On players refusing to run: “If you don’t run the way I want on Saturday, you can run the way you want on Sunday.”

* On banning mobile phones at 1860 Munich: “If your phone rings, you can get off the bus, and we’ll continue. They have phones; they can call a taxi.”

* Another Lorant quote: “Players should run and shut their mouths.”

* On his job as a coach: “Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but only mine matters.”