Julian Nagelsmann – the youngest head coach in Bundesliga history at the age of 28. Julian Nagelsmann – the most expensive coach in Bundesliga history. He is a serial winner who is obsessed with football, and currently is the head coach of the best club in Germany. Here is the Julian Nagelsmann Story.
1] Early Life:
Born in Bavaria and Scouted by 1860 Munich at the age of 15 in 2002. Nagelsmann was a very good player. He played as a center-back. One of his coaches recalls he never saw him make any tackles as he was always in the right place. Nagelsmann had all the traits of a modern-day center-back. But football was not the only thing he was good at.
He was also a good human being who had leadership skills and top-notch humor! One of his teachers recalls, “He had a knack for achieving maximum success with minimal effort because he could listen in class and take it all in.”
His leadership skills have been present within him from the very start. He could win anyone over and make them believe in his purpose. Life looked sorted out for Nagelsmann. A Great player, a great leader, and full of potential. But life can all so be unpredictable at times. A Botched Knee operation finished his hopes of a playing career at the age of 20. To make matters worse during the same time frame his father passed away at the age of 56.
His peers believe that all of this traumatic experience made him grow quicker than his peers. He was more matured than his age suggested.
2] Second chance in life:
If an individual is strong from within there is no one that can stop him from succeeding. Nagelsmann can never be a player but he got a second chance at life and football when he decided to go into management. He became a member of the Hoffenheim academy coaching staff in 2010. He was appointed the under-16 coach and he kept on progressing.
Nagelsmann had his first breakthrough when he won the club’s first-ever under 19 championship in 2014. Showing faith in Nagelsmann’s ability, Hoffenheim appointed him as head coach in the midst of the club’s relegation battle in the 2015/16 season. It’s easy to praise that decision in retrospect. But at that time, appointing a manager who has no head coach experience and is only 28 years of age was a risky decision. Nonetheless, Nagelsmann proved his doubter wrong as the 28-year-old successfully helped Hoffenheim survive the relegation battle.
Next season, which was his first full season with Hoffenheim, he shocked everyone when he finished 4th on the Bundesliga table and qualified for the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
Alexander Rosen the director of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim said, “He always wants to do better & to win. That sets the tone for his team. I remember when he said that he wanted to be a contender for the championship with Hoffenheim. Some thought he was being unrealistic but he wanted to push his players.”
Nagelsmann then went on to be the head coach of RB Leipzig where he took the new branded club to even greater heights. He reached the champions league semi-finals with them in his first season in charge. The following season Leipzig finished second on the table his leadership.
From his career being shot down at the age of 20 to becoming a top-class coach, Nagelsmann’s journey is truly inspiring. His character fortitude must be admired since turning around life after the ideal has been destroyed is not simple. Can’t become a footballer? – why not become one of the most sought-after coaches in world football.
After his 2-year stint at Leipzig, Nagelsmann became the head coach of Bayern Munich.
And this is the Julian Nagelsmann Story.
