Many were taken aback by Julian Naglesmann's dismissal as Bayern manager earlier last week. Even if the defending German champions' recent struggles have put pressure on the highly-regarded young boss, few predicted that he would 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 outfit hired 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 had thrown 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 between Julian 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 BILD withdrew the Bayern correspondent from her position last year.
Ex-soccer player Markus Babbel says the players and members 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 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," 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.
