Bayern Munich can’t even win in Augsburg anymore

Some crises in football announce themselves. Sometimes for a shorter, sometimes for a longer period of time. The crisis into which FC Bayern Munich, the German record champions, slipped is undoubtedly one of those that have been looming over a longer period of time.

Maybe one or the other remembers that the Gladbachers beat Bayern 5-0 in the German Cup last year. And maybe some fans will also remember how unimaginatively they failed against Villarreal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. In between there was an extended, expensive shopping spree that led the competition to believe that these Bavarians were unbeatable.

The backing provided by sports director Hasan Salihamidzic is of dubious quality

Now the evidence to the contrary has been provided. Not even in a top game, but in a Bavarian derby. Bayern lost 1-0 in Augsburg. It was the fourth game without a win in the Bundesliga, a series that is rare in Munich. In addition, Bayern’s appearance thwarts the events that had delighted the supporters during the week. They defeated FC Barcelona 2-0 in the Champions League, not without difficulty.

It would be an exaggeration to speak of a state of shock into which the people of Munich fell. However, such a result creates pressure, especially on the coach Julian Nagelsmann. He’s been making a relatively tense impression for weeks, Munich’s good start in the Bundesliga and Champions League hasn’t been able to consolidate his position.

In addition, the support that sports director Hasan Salihamidzic gives him is of dubious quality: Salihamidzic recently spoke on television that Nagelsmann was a young coach who still had to find his style. In addition, Nagelsmann had never trained a squad of such quality.

Now there are certain risks for Bayern to work with a coach who is still learning. Nagelsmann was considered the undisputed preferred candidate in the summer of last year. The commitment of the former Leipzig coach is said to have been worth 25 million euros to Bayern.

An alternative would be on the market: Thomas Tuchel, who was on leave at Chelsea

Such an investment only makes sense if a club plans with a coach for years to come. That’s why I have to ask Salihamidzic why he hires a young, horrendously expensive coach as sports director, from whom he is convinced that he still has important things to learn. After the final whistle, Nagelsmann sounded unusually humble: “The trend doesn’t bode well. I think about everything – about me, about the situation, about everything.”

The next few days should be interesting in Munich. Not only for Julian Nagelsmann, but also for Salihamidzic. However, a breakup with the coach might not be as complicated as it first appears. Thomas Tuchel, who is on leave from Chelsea FC, has recently entered the market as a coach who has proven to have successfully completed his apprenticeship.