After the 0: 5 in Gladbach, Bayern is in a state of shock. It won’t last long, however. This is bad news for the league.
On Wednesday evening yesterday I felt like the whole of football in Germany. I have the 5-0 of Borussia Monchengladbach against the FC Bayern Watched in front of the TV in front of the TV – most of the time with my mouth open. I expected it to be tight.
Gladbach has made life difficult for Bavaria over and over again in recent years – most recently at 1-1 on the first Bundesliga– Match day of the current season. However, nobody really expected this dismantling. I didn’t think I’d have to say that, but FC Bayern was shot out of the stadium.
That’s not normal
How did that happen?
Safe: At Gladbach, everything was perfect from the first to the last second. The goals came at the perfect time and the team played itself into a frenzy. At Bayern, on the other hand, nothing worked from the first to the last second. I’ve never seen so many total failures at Bayern.
But: FC Bayern usually recovers within one game. At halftime I thought: It’s not over yet – and I was curious to see how the team would get out of the locker room. Then came: nothing. And that wasn’t normal.
Nagelsmann could not have prevented that
Did the circumstances and sidelines play a role? The case Lucas Hernandezwho was threatened with jail until yesterday? The national debate around Joshua Kimmichwho is one of five Bayern players who is not vaccinated? The absence of coach Julian Nagelsmann, who coached from his kitchen due to a corona infection and had contact with his assistant coach Dino Toppmöller has held?
The answer to all of these questions is no.
Nagelsmann could not have prevented this defeat if he had been on the sidelines. What should he have done? A tactical trick like substituting Serge Gnabry at 4-0 against Benfica Lisbon would have fizzled out. Hernández and Kimmich were certainly concerned with the reporting personally. But none of this can be an excuse on the pitch. This approach is utter nonsense.
It happens every ten years
No matter what happens next to the pitch or is under discussion: I know from my own experience that you, as a player, concentrate fully on football in the 90 minutes.
My explanation looks like this: There are days when you as a player and team are simply at a loss. You have a clear plan, tactical guidelines – and you know what to expect. But you just don’t have any answers at the moment. That happens maybe every ten years – and it has happened to me in my active career too.
We had a day like that with FC Bayern 2001 when we beat 3-0 Olympic lyon lost and us afterwards from our then president Franz Beckenbauer They were allowed to listen to sentences such as “This is Uwe-Seeler’s traditional team, old-school football, a different sport”.
Bayern must now win the Champions League
That is certainly not nice. But it depends on the reaction. Sometimes you even need a game like this to open your eyes.
Back then, we ended up winning the most important trophy in club football. And that is exactly what has to happen now. In addition to the championship, FC Bayern must have the Champions League win so that this season can be rated as successful.
Is this realistic? From my point of view, yes.
The answer becomes violent and merciless
After a defeat like this, you sit down as a player and give massive and fundamental thought to yourself. If that doesn’t come from you, you will be forced to do so. Because at FC Bayern it rattles internally after such a game. And then the team has to tick that game right away and have an answer. And I am sure that she will give it. FC Bayern’s answer will come quickly and it will be violent and merciless.
At other clubs you have to worry after a game like this – for example after the Dortmund 0: 4 against ajax Amsterdam for BVB or after the 3: 6 against Leipzig Manchester City to RB. At Bayern, on the other hand, the competition should be afraid of revenge and anger.
The title would have been important for Nagelsmann
For Borussia Dortmund it works without the injured Erling Haaland In any case, in the next few weeks only to stick with Bayern in the Bundesliga and not let the gap get bigger by one point. The chances of that have certainly decreased with Bayern’s exit in the cup. I would not be surprised if Bavaria moves away now.
Of course, that must also be Bayern’s claim, because the record champions have not lived up to expectations in the cup for the second year in a row. The title in DFB-Pokal would have been important for, too Julian Nagelsmann.
This embarrassment has consequences
I would like to remind you that the club split from coaches after a double. Niko Kovac had to leave in November and thus a few months after the double in 2019, Felix Magath in January 2007 only six months after the double in 2006. Louis van Gaal had to leave in March 2011 after not only winning the double last year, but also leading Bayern into the final of the Champions League. It can happen quickly at FC Bayern – even if we don’t assume that Nagelsmann will be tight now.
Nevertheless, this historic Bayern disgrace in Gladbach has consequences. In the cup, it holds the gigantic chance for the clubs remaining in the competition to win this title. For example for Gladbach.
For the Bundesliga, however, this dismantling is bad news. At least I would be very surprised if there wasn’t an answer from FC Bayern at Union Berlin on Saturday.
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