FLIPPING COACHES

"FLICK IS TO TAKE UP THE BIGGEST JOB IN GERMAN FOOTBALL AS HEAD COACH OF THE NATIONAL SIDE"

COACH BY: FEARGAL BRENNAN SHUFFLE

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

THE GOOD

The start of the 2021-22 Bundesliga season will see a huge game of musical chairs of coaches in the German top-flight play out. It is HansDieter Flick’s decision to leave Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich at the end of 202021 that has triggered a major reshuffle of coaches. Flick is to take up the biggest job in German football as he replaces Joachim Low as head coach of the national side, with Low stepping down at the conclusion of Euro 2020 after 15 years in charge. That gaping hole at the Allianz Arena will be filled by Julian Nagelsmann, with the highly-rated coach ending his tenure at RB Leipzig to head to Bavaria. The domino effect has continued from there with Nagelsmann’s rising stock rewarded by a chance to test himself inside the white-hot atmosphere of Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig leaning on their RB Salzburg connections to bring in Jesse Marsch. The Wisconsin-born former New York Red Bulls boss has impressed in his first head coaching role in Europe, winning the Austrian Bundesliga in 2019-20 and 2020-21. However, the most interesting possible chain reaction involves Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach and Eintracht Frankfurt. Edin Terzic’s uninspiring spell in charge of Dortmund in 2021 has persuaded the club to remove him and bring in the exciting figure of Marco Rose from Borussia Monchengladbach. Rose’s loss will be felt deeply by

Monchengladbach and they have opted to bring in the experienced figure of Adi Hutter to steady the ship, with Frankfurt unlikely to name a replacement until the start of the new season. Each change represents a fresh start for each club and a new set of hurdles for each coach, but the main focus will be on Nagelsmann at Bayern as he looks to follow Flick’s path and avoid the mistakes of Niko Kovac’s spell in charge.

THE BAD

A new-look Bayern Munich is expected for the 2021-22 Bundesliga season as Julian Nagelsmann puts his stamp on the team. The transition between the new man and the departing Hansi Flick has been swift in nature but there is a string of long-established names that have slipped through cracks during the changeover. Nagelsmann’s brief of blooding more young players is clear, however, there is growing concern over the amount of experienced players being allowed to leave. Flick and the Bayern board did attempt to keep hold of versatile star David Alaba in the final months of his contract but it was to no avail as he opted to leave and sign for Real Madrid on a free transfer. Fellow veterans Javi Martinez and Jerome Boateng have also been allowed to drift out of the exit door at the Allianz Arena after more than 600 appearances between them for the club. That void of experience shows little signs of being filled based on Nagelsmann’s previous record and he will be relying on players such as Kingsley Coman and Benjamin Pavard to step up another level. Supporters will also be looking further down the line as Leon Goretzka, Corentin Tolisso and Niklas Sule all enter into the final year of their contract this summer with no extension talks planned at this stage and the growing threat of three highprofile free exits in 2022. However, despite speculation over their respective futures, attacking duo Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski are not on their way out of the club as part of Nagelsmann’s reshuffle. As long as Bayern have the goals of Lewandowski they should still be able to achieve their goals, but the Poland international is himself 33 in August. Bayern have excelled in maintaining their dominance over German football for the past decade and replenishing the squad when necessary, but they have perhaps never had to do so on such a scale in a short space of time.

THE UGLY

Joachim Low’s decision to leave his role at the helm of the Germany national team has brought to an end one of the longest running international appointments in world football. However, the circumstances over his exit have led to criticism from certain quarters over the rebuilding job he is leaving for Hansi Flick in the months ahead. When Low took over from Jurgen Klinsmann following the 2006 World Cup he inherited a team which had just finished third in the competition. In the immediate aftermath, he led the team to a runners-up spot in Euro 2008 before remoulding them into world champions in 2014. However, he leaves the biggest job in German football on the back of some low-key showings in international tournaments with an ageing squad at his disposal. His decision to reverse his international exile for Mats Hummels and Thomas Muller ahead of Euro 2020 was met with positivity and scepticism in equal measure. Their recalls provided a boost for Low’s squad but he was criticised for acting in the interests of his own legacy after previously hinting they were not up to the job at international level anymore. Low had wanted to focus on blooding a next generation but after some members of that group struggled to live up to their predecessors, he turned to Hummels and Muller again.

ABOVE (OPPOSITE PAGE): Dieter Flick will take over the German National Team after Euro 2020

BOTTOM LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Julian Nagelsman will take over the coaching position at Bayern Munich

BOTTOM RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): American-born Jessie Marsch will be taking over at RB Leipzig

ABOVE: David Alaba of Bayern Munich during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FSV Mainz 05 and Bayern Munich

RIGHT: The new-look Bayern will look to continue their dominance

BELOW: Joachim Low

TOP RIGHT: SpVgg Greuther Furth celebrate

BOTTOM RIGHT: Bremen's Leonardo Bittencourt (C) reacts during the German Bundesliga soccer match VfL Bochum secured their return to the top-flight for the first time since 2010 after clinching the second-tier title in 2020-21 with Greuther Fürth also playing Bundesliga football again after a nineyear exile. However, Holstein Kiel will not be joining them after losing 5-1 in the promotion play-off against relegation threatened Köln.

GOING DOWN

Köln survived what had looked like their doomed fight with a dramatic turnaround in the play-offs but Werder Bremen and Schalke 04 are two of the biggest clubs to suffer relegation in recent seasons. Bremen will being playing in the second tier for just the second time in their history as a Bundesliga side in the post-1963 era with Schalke down for the first time since 1991.