Horst Dassler

"“Le Patron,” as Horst was known in Alsace, worked hardest of all. A workaholic by any standards, he always looked for ways to exploit his time as efficiently as possible. One of his most bi- zarre ploys was known as the revolving dinner. “Three groups of people would be set up in three separate rooms, with one lead- ing executive at each table,” one witness recalled. “Horst would have drinks with one group. Sit at the table. Then, as planned, he would be called away for an urgent meeting. He would then move on to the next group, eat an appetizer, then be called away. And on to the next group for dessert. At the end of the evening all of those guests would feel they had dined with Horst Dassler.”"

"Horst himself excelled at this discipline. His phenomenal memory stored the names and faces of countless athletes and offi- cials. Le Patron would never close a conversation without enquir- ing about the welfare of the other person’s family. The interest was flattering enough, but it often turned out that Horst genu- inely listened to the reply, too. One business relation who vaguely spoke of his son’s enthusiasm for a soccer team was stunned to re- ceive, shortly afterward, a package for his son with autographed shirts from some of the team’s players. Such attentions were per- fectly in line with Horst Dassler’s motto, “Business is about rela- tionships.”"

"Horst Dassler’s most intimate guests would be taken down to the cellar, where they could savor anything from Chateau d’Yquem and Petrus to the finest Armagnac. On particularly in- tense nights, Horst enjoyed sharing the bench in the cellar to smoke a cigar, accompanied by a glass of wine or cognac. While the racks contained the most prestigious wines, his personal treat was the relatively obscure Chateau de la Chaise, from southern Burgundy. One of the neatest touches was to offer guests a bottle of wine from the year of their birth."

"With Arena, Horst Dassler demonstrated just how hard- hitting his French team had become. Barely one year after the confrontation with his father, Arena swimwear duly made its debut at the European championships in Berlin, in August 1973. Two years later, at the World Championships in Cali, Colombia, roughly two thirds of the swimmers wore Arena. Horst Das- sler invested $100,000 in the championships, a substantial sum at the time. The money was spent on team sponsorship deals and an agreement with the organizers: the entire pool seemed covered with Arena diamonds. Speedo, the Australian brand that had previously held a virtual monopoly on the swimwear market, appeared completely dumbstruck by the advances of its French rival."

"Jacky. While the hotel bar officially closed at midnight, Jacky kept a backroom with a bar open for the Adidas crew and their guests. He would turn away other potential customers while continuing to serve drinks until Horst Dassler had finished his meetings—often in the early hours of the morning. Con- veniently, the Terrasse Hotel was located a stone’s throw from several temples of adult entertainment in Paris, particularly Le Moulin Rouge."

"The task was entrusted to Alain Ronc, a dedicated manager in the export department. Called into Horst Dassler’s office, he furi- ously scribbled notes as Dassler went through his plans for Arena"

"Just in case his phenomenal memory failed him, Horst Dassler created detailed files for each of his contacts. Meticulously up- dated, they contained the names of that person’s closest family members and their ages, clothes measurements, special likes and dislikes; the subjects discussed during the latest meeting; and the presents they received. Horst Dassler’s aides were taught to keep track of their contacts in the same way. “At the end of an eve- ning, when you'd think we’d keel over comatose, we would still keep a pretty good diary of notes,” said Nally. “All these people were trained to take notes; they were very disciplined in giving Horst complete information.”"

"Wherever he was, Horst Dassler seized every opportunity to re- inforce his friendships among sports officials or to seal new ones. While others regarded schmoozing as a tiresome obligation, Horst complied with almost fanatical zeal. This was perfectly in line with one of his adages, “Everything is a matter of relationships.” Indeed he had the right skills to make friends all around the world: he was fluent in five languages, displayed an affable manner, never asked any awkward questions, and was amazingly considerate."

"Yearning for yet more influence, Horst Dassler resolved to build up an unofficial team dedicated to international sports relations. While all of his disciples were taught to make friends, the sports politics squad, patched together in the seventies, went much fur- ther. Their activities were geared entirely toward the infiltration of leading sports organizations."