Author: Soorya G
Julian Nagelsmann, the former Bayern Munich coach, has been appointed coach of the German national team. The former Leipzig coach will take over the vacant post after his predecessor at the Bavarians, Hans Dieter Flick, was sacked from the German team. Flick had a difficult term in office after taking over from Joachim Loew. Flick has led the team to two major competitions, the UEFA Nations League and the 2022 World Cup. Germany’s performance was underwhelming in both competitions, even more so at the World Cup, when the team was eliminated at the group stage for the second time in a row.
Meanwhile, Nagelsmann was sacked from his job at Bayern, despite finishing top of the league in a tense 2022/23 season. The German was kept under contract by Bayern even after Thomas Tuchel’s appointment, which has now allowed him to sign a short-term contract with the national team until the conclusion of the European Championship. Nagelsmann expressed his excitement after the announcement and was eager to get to work.
“We have a European Championship in our own country – that’s something special. I have a great desire to take on this challenge.“
The 36-year-old also spoke about his unexpected dismissal from Bayern, saying that he never thought his job was under threat. Although he regretted losing the opportunity to work with an elite group of players, he added that he would not allow the dismissal to define who he was.
“What hurts most about a break-up like this is that it’s painful to sit in front of the TV and watch your team in the Champions League, but to know that you’re not able to help them and work with them. For me, Julian Nagelsmann, as a person, I don’t define myself by my work. There may be phases when things aren’t going perfectly. That’s part of the job. But I know that when I lie in bed at night, there are other things that define me, not just my work as a soccer coach. I really enjoyed working with these players“. said Nagelsmann.