Bayern Munich struck gold by appointing Vincent Kompany as the head coach of the first team in 2024. The Belgian coach has done a terrific job over the last 18 months, helping Bayern regain the Bundesliga title. Moreover, Die Roten are playing an expansive style of football under Kompany.
The former Belgian coach wouldn’t have landed at Bayern if the club had got their wish with one of their first-choice targets. Die Roten tried to negotiate a deal with Xabi Alonso, Julian Nagelsmann, Ralf Rangnick, and Oliver Glasner before turning their attention to Kompany.
The Bavarian club’s interest in Nagelsmann was peculiar. He was previously sacked by Bayern in 2023 and replaced by Thomas Tuchel. However, the club hierarchy was completely different at that time. Max Eberl had joined Bayern early in 2024, while Christoph Freund had replaced Hasan Salihamidzic as the club’s sporting director.
Eberl touched base with Nagelsmann to convince him about a return to Bayern. While talking to Bild this week, Nagelsmann’s agent, Volker Struth, admitted that the interest from Bayern was real. However, the former RB Leipzig head coach was keen on managing Germany at the Euros, and the sacking was very much fresh in his mind.
"Julian was never involved and had asked us to handle the situation very sensitively. In March, there were international matches in France and against the Netherlands, which went perfectly. The atmosphere before the Euros at home was really starting to build up. The fact that talks were even taking place could have jeopardized the tournament. Ultimately, that was a crucial reason why Julian didn't do it – especially since the dismissal was still fresh."Volker Struth
Nagelsmann justified to be miffed about his departure from Bayern
Bayern had handled Nagelsmann’s departure in the worst possible way. Moreover, his exit came at a time when Bayern were competing on all fronts in the season. Nagelsmann initially got to know about his departure through the media, which is a disaster for a club of Bayern’s size.
The German coach’s disappointment was justified since he had done a decent job at the club in 18 months. Die Roten went on to appoint Thomas Tuchel as his replacement. They got knocked out of the DFB Pokal and Champions League after Nagelsmann’s departure. Bayern managed to win the Bundesliga title, but couldn’t defend their title next season.
Nagelsmann took a small break before becoming the head coach of the German national team. Germany didn’t go the distance under him at the Euros 2024, but performances were getting better. He hopes to get better results in the World Cup later this year.
Considering the fact that he is a young coach, Nagelsmann may return to Bayern in the future. However, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he decides to give preference to other big clubs over Die Roten after the way his exit was handled during his first stint.