Julian Nagelsmann was recently sacked by Bayern Munich management citing that he was unable to get the desired results. But sources speculate that his relationship with Lena Wurzenberger could have been a factor.
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Julian Nagelsmann’s contract was terminated recently by the Bayern Munich management and one of the major reasons behind it could be the relationship status of the coach. Markus Babbel, a former defender for Bayern Munich and Germany, told Blick that Nagelsmann’s relationship with BILD reporter, Lena Wurzenberger was a hot issue in the locker room. Him being in a relationship with a BILD reporter did not reportedly go down well at all. Therefore, his girlfriend was a major issue for Bayern. This caused a lot of players’ trust issues as they feared that their opinions could be reported in the media or released to the public. Some players were reportedly no longer able to express their thoughts clearly, hence this problem in the dressing room could have been a reason for the sacking.
Babbel, in his interview with Blick stated, “I know that Nagelsmann’s relationship with a BILD reporter was a huge topic in the dressing room. It didn’t go down well at all that he was with her. His girlfriend was therefore a big problem for Bayern. There was a lack of trust because some players just weren’t able to communicate what they were thinking anymore. Because they were afraid that everything would end up in the newspaper.”
Nagelsmann divorced his wife of 15 years, with whom he has two children, and his relationship with Lena Wurzenberger became public last year. Wurzenberger previously covered Bayern for the BILD, but she was reportedly relieved of her coverage responsibilities after discovering a conflict of interest. She was the one who interviewed Sadio Mane when he first arrived in Munich. Sources are speculating that Wurzenberger has left her job at BILD but this is not confirmed.
Images of Nagelsmann’s new tactics with the Bundesliga champions, including passing and running patterns, were published by the German site Sport Bild. Nagelsmann was furious to learn that someone at the club had disclosed his plans to the media. This leak puts them under fire as it was leaked just before the defeat to Leverkusen and with important games coming up it was a challenging situation for the club.
“In the locker room, we have a snitch. I’m bothered by this,” Nagelsmann told the press. “Whoever is responsible for this harms every one of us. Other than aiding the opposition, I don’t understand his objective. The search for moles is challenging because they are a threatened species, but I’m not sure if the person will be able to face the mirror every morning. I make an effort to identify the cause. For me, it’s crucial to be able to respect my players and my other coaches so that I can look at myself in the mirror at night. It’s unfair, and I sincerely hope that this individual is unable to look in the mirror.”
Bayern Munich held a press conference on Saturday where the newly appointed coach Tuchel, sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić and CEO Oliver Kahn were present. Tuchel praised Nagelsmann for his efforts but claimed he’s ready to seize the chance to succeed him now that the Bavarian giants are only one point off the top spot in the Bundesliga and have advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Tuchel pointed out that they are in contention to win all trophies possible and will try to maximize the opportunity in front of them.
Oliver Kahn also pointed out that Tuchel has a very impressive CV, taking PSG to the finals and Chelsea to win the UEFA Champions League. He also said that they have a top-notch team, and Julian was a good coach. However, the way of playing was just not sustainable. The discussions yesterday proved that they have supported Julian wholeheartedly from the beginning. They decided to the best of their knowledge and executed the deal. Bayern’s sporting director said, “Up until Sunday at 11 p.m., we had faith in Julian. We helped one another out and talked a lot about the games and training. On Monday, we discussed everything at length. If you look at the statistics, football is truthful. You need to respond when you notice that power curve declining.”
