“Much more than planned”: Nagelsmann gives plenty of presents to Bayern stars

“Significantly more than planned”
Nagelsmann gives plenty of presents to Bayern stars

Before the last game of the year, everything is going according to plan at Bayern: clear table leadership in the league, perfect record in the Champions League. Coach Julian Nagelsmann gives his squad plenty of presents. Before that, however, Robert Lewandowski is still about a record by Gerd Müller.

Julian Nagelsmann was in the best pre-Christmas mood. And so the coach of Bayern Munich liked to play “Santa Claus” before the last game of the year and rewarded his stars princely before Christmas Eve. “I gave the players a lot more vacation days than originally planned,” said the 34-year-old and added with a laugh: “It’s better than a piece of chocolate.”

Before the end of the year against VfL Wolfsburg on Friday (8.30 p.m. / DAZN, Sat1 and in the live ticker at ntv.de), the mood at the record champions is excellent, the anticipation for Christmas and relaxing days with the family is great. “At Christmas I don’t analyze any tactics, it’s calm and contemplative,” emphasized Nagelsmann and added with a wink: “I always cry when I hear ‘Silent Night, Holy Night’.”

He himself has no special wishes for the Christ Child, there is a gift when he is elf with the family. “A few days on the ski slopes would be nice. A few days for me and my family,” said the successful coach modestly. And of course “ending the corona pandemic, but I don’t know whether the Christ Child can help with it.”

42 for Müller – and Lewandowski?

In any case, in terms of sport, everything is going according to plan. Six points ahead of pursuers Borussia Dortmund, another record with 52 goals in 16 league games, the tenth championship title in a row firmly in view. Only one thing is missing: Robert Lewandowski’s next record. Thanks to his season goals 17 and 18 in the Bundesliga on Tuesday at VfB Stuttgart (5: 0), the service striker has already scored 42 for Munich this year – for the time being he is tied with Gerd Müller: the club icon who recently passed away the best performance was achieved in 1972.

In Stuttgart Lewandowski was not completely satisfied, did not cheer with crossed arms as usual. “I noticed the cheers,” said Nagelsmann: “Lewy is incredibly ambitious and wants every ball. It is normal that there are phases when you are not completely satisfied. The defenders shoot at him.” The opponent on Friday is just right for Lewandowski in his hunt. Wolfsburg – wasn’t there something? In fact, the Pole set four (world) records in a 5: 1 (0: 1) against Lower Saxony on September 22nd, 2015 – as evidenced by four certificates and entries in the “Guiness Book”. “That was a historic evening for me,” says Lewandowski.

Against ailing Wolfsburg, who after the sixth bankruptcy in a row under coach Florian Kohfeldt are currently experiencing the worst series of defeats in 44 years, Bayern are big favorites. “They are still a very good team,” warned Nagelsmann, who described the additional stress in the Champions League as “not normal”. It could happen to “enter a downward spiral”. At the end of the press conference, Nagelsmann drew a good-humored conclusion about the first six months at FC Bayern. “We played a very good first half of the season,” he said, “I want to go into the game with great concentration to keep the distance”. And then finally Christmas vacation.

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