Ex-Bayern Munich president lifts the lid on Nagelsmann's departure

Ex-Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness says Julian Nagelsmann’s relationship with a BILD reporter was ‘anything but optimal’ and criticises him for going on a mid-season ski trip as he lifts the lid on the chaos behind the scenes at the Bundesliga giants

• Julian Nagelsmann was sacked as manager of Bayern Munich back in March
• He was replaced by Thomas Tuchel, who led them to the Bundesliga title 
• Ex-club president Uli Hoeness has given his take on Nagelsmann’s departure 

Former Bayern Munich Preisdent Uli Hoeness has criticised Julian Nagelsmann tenure at the club, but argued he should not have been sacked when he was.

Bayern parted ways with the 35-year-old manager in March after a loss to Bayer Leverkusen left them second in the league with nine games left to play.

They had reached the Champions League quarter-finals and knocked out Paris Saint-Germain, but still chose to part ways with Nagelsmann. He received the news while on a controversial mid-season ski trip.

Hoeness, who remains part of a supervisory board at the Bavarian Giants, has now given his take on Nagelsmann’s departure.

He told BILD: ‘I didn’t think it was good that Julian Nagelsmann went skiing at all in such a crisis situation after the 2-1 loss in Leverkusen, that should not have happened.’

Ex-Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has given his take on the end to Julian Nagelsmann’s spell as Bayern Munich manager

He was sacked in March and replaced by Thomas Tuchel with Bayern second in the Bundesliga 

Aside from a slight slip in results that threatened to prevent Bayern from winning their 11th consecutive Bundesliga title, the end of Nagelsmann’s time at Bayern was also marked by a relationship with BILD reporter Lena Wurzenberger.

Reports at the time suggested a lack of trust from players as a result of the relationship, and Wurzenberger left her role at the German outlet shortly after Nagelsmann’s sacking. 

‘It’s a very personal issue and a private matter that has to be respected,’ Hoeness said of the relationship. ‘But it is understandable that such a constellation is anything but optimal for a club.’

While the 71-year-old, who played over 300 games for Bayern and won the World Cup with West Germany in 1974, did agree with the decision to sack Nagelsmann, he felt the timing and lack of consultation before the decision were flawed.

Hoeness revealed that ‘no one’ on the supervisory board was asked about the manager’s future, and that sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic only contacted them once a decision had been made.

He came under scrutiny for a relationship with then-Bild reporter Lena Wurzenberger, which Hoeness described as ‘less than optimal’

Bayern went on to lift the Bundesliga title following a dramatic final day of the season

Nagelsmann was replaced by Thomas Tuchel just 10 days before Bayern faced league leaders Borussia Dortmund, a move Hoeness described as ‘wrong’ given the game’s importance.

Tuchel’s men did beat Dortmund 4-2 in the game and went on to win the Bundesliga after a dramatic final day, but they could not maintain their Champions League form and were knocked out by Manchester City. 

Both Salihamidzic and chief executive Oliver Khan were sacked by the club hours after winning the league following a chaotic season.

There are still few signs of stability at the club, with Dietmar Hamann suggesting Tuchel could leave the club just two months after his arrival. 

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