FC Bayern have appointed Julian Nagelsmann as their new head coach. The Bavarian-born 33-year-old will move to Munich from RB Leipzig ahead of the new season. The 33-year-old German manager has signed a five-year contract and will become the youngest ever manager to lead the great Bayern Munich.
This appointment became necessary when the current Bayern head coach Hansi Flick made a request to terminate his contract at the end of the season. Rumour has it that Flick is eyeing the German National Team head coach job as Joachim Low is going to step down post the European Championship.
Nagelsmann grew up in the small Munich suburb as a fan of Bayern. His family built a house in the outskirts of Munich where his wife and kids live, while Nagelsmann stayed in Leipzig coaching the club. It is kind of a homecoming for the young German coach and more like a dream come true.
Nagelsmann’s Managerial Journey
Nagelsmann arrives in Munich as one of the most highly-rated young coaches in Europe. He came into the Bundesliga in 2016 and has quickly risen to the top, first rescuing Hoffenheim from relegation before leading them to the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the club’s history. He then took over RB Leipzig and transformed them into one of the most fascinating young teams to watch in Europe. He led them to the Champions League semi-finals in the previous season and that was a major achievement for a young club like Leipzig.
Bayern Munich and Julian Nagelsmann seem to be a power duo and any hope that was left among the contenders in the Bundesliga must be shattered now. We’ve seen over the years that Bayern have already been miles ahead of their domestic rivals and have now signed the coach whose team was the only contender they faced this season. The move can ensure pure dominance for the Bavarian club for the years to come.
In the past six years, Nagelsmann was in talks with Bayern on more than one occasion. In 2017, the German champions considered the German for the managerial position but had concerns about his lack of experience. Certainly, these concerns went away this time around given that Nagelsmann has proved his pedigree at the highest level of European football.
Nagelsmann’s Style Of Play
Bayern is getting a young, yet already seasoned coach who thinks about football 24×7. His tactical awareness and ability to coach his team to play in different systems make him one of the most exciting managers going around in the world. Before kick-off, it sometimes becomes impossible to predict the system the team would play at the start and even if they start in a certain manner his team always has the ability to transition flawlessly during games which makes him a tactical genius on the sidelines.
Nagelsmann never played football at the highest level, he was seen by many as the laptop generation of coaches coming through and wasn’t considered a purist by any means. However, during his years in the German top-level, he has proven that he is much more than just data and analysis, and his on-field coaching is what stands out in his teams.
Nagelsmann As A Manager
Sometimes geniuses like him are difficult to talk to but Julian Naglesmann is the polar opposite to that theory. He famously once said that football is 40% about coaching and 60% about leadership. He is a wonderful man-manager and has the ability to motivate his players in the locker room and keep the atmosphere around the club fun.
At Bayern, he might come across big personalities who are already at the top of their games and Naglesmann over the years has always looked to constantly improve young players. The current manager, Flick has not attempted any tactical experiments in the past 18 months and has let the players be in charge when it comes to on-field situations. The results have been pretty positive for the club, but Naglesmann took up a different route and could clash with the big personalities in the dressing room. It will be interesting to see whether he is more hesitant to try out any new tactical systems with Bayern’s team.
What’s Next?
Surely he hasn’t taken up the job under any real pressure. Nagelsmann has not won any silverware in his senior coaching career yet and trophies are how a manager is judged at a club of Bayern Munich’s size.
The next few seasons are going to be a rollercoaster ride for both Nagelsmann and his players. Whether he is able to deliver under high-pressure circumstances or whether he would crumble under it only time will tell. However, one can rest assured that the football that would be played at the capital of Germany would be fast, exciting and a joy to watch.
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