Bundesliga: Nagelsmann does not see himself as a detonator: victories are “above everything”

Wrapped up warm in a woolen hat and gloves, Julian Nagelsmann was back on the pitch in Munich the morning after the “very important win” at VfL Wolfsburg and relaxedly observed the training of the substitutes – and the progress of the comeback work by star striker Sadio Mané.

The initially masterful, later wild and at times even shaky 4: 2 (3: 1) led to some calming of the situation at FC Bayern Munich after the weekend fuss about Manuel Neuer.

Leader despite goalkeeper earthquake

Of course, Nagelsmann did not escape the Neuer cause in the Wolfsburg Arena either before or after the game. Especially since the at best professional relationship between coach and captain is the focus of the media. “I have to answer a question about it every two and a half minutes,” groaned Nagelsmann at some point. Neuer’s blatant verbal reaction to Nagelsmann’s separation from goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalovic increases the pressure on the head coach. Its most effective response remains victories. The ended series of draws in the Bundesliga meant that Bayern continued to salute as the top of the league.

Like CEO Oliver Kahn and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic before him, Nagelsmann also disapproved of Neuer’s chosen public path. “I wouldn’t have given the interview,” said the coach. He showed understanding that the Tapalovic separation had “hurt” Neuer. Nagelsmann defended it as a normal process in working life: “As a manager in a club, you are sometimes tasked with making decisions, not out of personal sensitivities, but in the interest of the matter.”

It was explained to Neuer both in a larger group and by him “in an extremely honest one-on-one conversation”. “I didn’t go public,” stressed Nagelsmann. Compared to Neuer, he “doesn’t see that I have an obligation to deliver”. He did not answer whether Neuer would remain his captain: “I know that’s an exciting question.”

Nagelsmann doesn’t see himself as a igniter in troubled Bavaria weeks. He needs rest before very important weeks of the season, which will also determine his coaching status in Munich. “I don’t light anything,” he said in Wolfsburg. For the 35-year-old, Neuer’s public outcry was “not beneficial for the club in terms of calm”.

At least the coaches and players in Wolfsburg managed to focus on football during the 90 minutes. “Victory is above everything, with everything that was and is,” Nagelsmann said with relief. We managed to “do our job on the pitch,” emphasized Leon Goretzka on the eve of his 28th birthday on Monday. “At the end of the day we have to focus on the sporting side,” said Joshua Kimmich.

Nagelsmann: “Jamal is playing freely again”

“I always think it’s good when something stirs about FC Bayern,” said Thomas Müller in typical Thomas Müller style. The original Bavarian has known unrest in the record champions for more than a decade. But even for the 33-year-old, “the start of the year was a bit too much for topics that don’t relate to sport”. The decisive factor for Müller is how the team deals with it. “You saw that that shouldn’t and doesn’t affect us as a football team.”

The 4-0 in the DFB Cup in Mainz and the 4-2 now in Wolfsburg was the “evidence”, “even if we’re not at a point where everything is slipping”. But some things are beginning to slip again. Kingsley Coman, the winning goalscorer against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2020 Champions League final, is back in action just in time for his ex-club reunion. New signing João Cancelo is integrating quickly and is already a win.

Yann Sommer also proved his class as a new representative in Wolfsburg. And above all, Magic Jamal Musiala showed that, after a small dip at the beginning of the year, he is ready for the generational duel with world champion Lionel Messi. Musiala’s furious and admired solo goal to the game-winning 4:1 after the yellow-red card for Kimmich was the final proof of this. “Jamal is playing freely again,” said Nagelsmann.