Julian Nagelsmann was sacked by Bayern Munich out of the blue in spring 2023. How the club treated the former Germany coach still leaves a bitter taste for a long-time associate.
Speaking to kicker, Dr Maximilian Pelka, team psychologist at the German record champions between 2021 and 2023, criticised Bayern officials' handling of the situation.
Bayern relieved Nagelsmann of his duties in March 2023 while he was on a skiing holiday. Club patriarch Uli Hoeneß later said in an interview that the spontaneous short break, taken during an international break with the club's approval, was also a decisive factor in the eventual decision.
"Perhaps we need to explain again what situation the club was in at the time. The team were in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup and had just knocked PSG, with Messi, Neymar and Mbappe, out of the Champions League. But Bayern were second behind Dortmund in the league. That brings us to the pressure of expectations. Everyone always wants more, more, more," Pelka said.
Why was Julian Nagelsmann sacked by Bayern Munich?
After a 2-1 Bundesliga defeat to Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Nagelsmann went to his office on Säbener Straße as usual on the Monday and got on with his work. He then took time off when most of the players left for the international break.
"He is an adult. I don't need to recommend anything to him. But these international breaks give coaches a chance to step off the treadmill for a while. So it was not right to suggest that he had failed to deal with the crisis properly," Pelka said.
Pelka acknowledged the difficult sporting situation but insisted Nagelsmann had done nothing wrong: "Taking three or four days away from the madness to clear his head. With all the national team players away anyway, that was exactly the right thing to do."
In Pelka's view, the Bayern coach had wanted to prepare for the weeks ahead: "Of course everyone wants to see you keep working during a difficult period. But does that make sense in the end? Or does it make more sense to recharge so you can be fully there again over the following weeks and months? As far as I know, the trip had also been agreed."
After his dismissal in Munich, Nagelsmann took over as Germany coach at the DFB in September 2023. He remained there for almost three years before a disappointing performance at the 2026 World Cup ended his tenure early. Jürgen Klopp replaced him. Nagelsmann has been without a club since.