Germany’s success mantra: Madonna’s former yoga guru

EVIAN: In the macho world of international football, Germany have taken a more spiritual approach by employing a yoga teacher at Euro 2016, whose former pupils include

EVIAN: In the macho world of international football, Germany have taken a more spiritual approach by employing a yoga teacher at Euro 2016, whose former pupils include musicians Madonna and Sting.

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“To my knowledge, I was the only yoga teacher working with a national team at the World Cup in Brazil,” Munich-based yoga teacher Patrick Broome told AFP.

Broome is part of Germany’s backroom staff for major tournaments and puts die Mannschaft’s stars through exercises to relax them physically and mentally.

Former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs, who was still playing at 40, says yoga helped extend his career.

Germany head coach Joachim Loew is also a fan of the ancient Indian discipline.

Now the likes of Germany’s Thomas Mueller, Lukas Podolski and Mats Hummels are no strangers to yoga postures like ‘lotus’, ‘warrior and ‘cobra’.

“He’s been part of the team since (the 2014 World Cup in) Brazil and he offers courses every day,” said veteran Germany forward Podolski at their Euro 2016 base in Evian.

“We can decide for ourselves to take advantage or not. It’s not on the training plan that we have to go, but he does a good job.”