As Julian Nagelsmann guides a resurgent Germany team through EURO 2024, the shock of his sacking at Bayern Munich little over a year ago still lingers. It may be especially true for Bayern players, many of whom are back with him at the national team.
“I don’t agree that the coach lost the dressing room,” midfielder Joshua Kimmich said in a recent ZDF documentary featuring him (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “You can justify the dismissal by saying that he was not successful in the Bundesliga, but it wasn’t the case that we players were constantly complaining about the coach. I think the communication should have been handled differently.”
Nagelsmann’s surprise axing took place in late March during the international break, having just lost to Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen side in an unusual game featuring two penalties conceded. At the time, a variety of reasons were given for the eyebrow-raising move.
In the year since, Alonso took Leverkusen to an undefeated Bundesliga-winning season while Bayern stumbled under Nagelsmann’s replacement, Thomas Tuchel. Now Nagelsmann is triumphant — for the moment — with Germany, Tuchel is out of a job, and Bayern look to the future with Vincent Kompany.