Many were taken aback by Julian Naglesmann‘s dismissal as Bayernmanager earlier last week. Even if the defending German champions’ recent struggles have put pressure on thehighly-regarded young boss, few predicted that hewould be let go.
The international break, a slow time for club action, saw him get the boot anyhow. After losing their top spot in the Bundesliga under Nagelsmann, the Allianz Arena outfithired Thomas Tuchel to lead the team.
The Bavarians’ upper management was reportedly unhappy with the team’s recent performance because of a perceived lack of consistency. They hadthrown away a winning position on five separate times and surrendered a stoppage-time goal twice in their 10 league games when they lost points.
What was the problem betweenJulian Nagelsmann’s girlfriend and the players?
It has come to light that the German manager’s departure may have been influenced by Lena Wurzenberger, his girlfriend. As a result of her romantic involvement with Nagelsmann, the German daily newspaper BILDwithdrew the Bayern correspondentfrom her position last year.
Ex-soccer playerMarkus Babbel says the players andmembers of the club were skeptical about her. They were worried that whatever went on in the locker room may be leaked to the media: “I know that Nagelsmann’s relationship with a BILDreporter 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,“Babbel told Blick.
Reports surfaced earlier this month suggesting that BILD had obtained access to Bayern’s tactical preparations, prompting questions about possible leaks from inside the team’s locker room. While there is no proof to support these assertions, the 35-year-old coach did not benefit much from this incident.