Villarreal’s Samuel Chukwueze (l.) sealed the end of FC Bayern’s Alphonso Davies shortly before the final whistle.
Foto: imago images/Michael Weber
Only the day after Julian Nagelsmann wanted to talk to his players about the end. The shock of being eliminated from the Champions League in the quarter-finals, and against an outsider at that, was too deep for everyone involved at first. Immediately after the 1-1 (0-0) in the second leg against FC Villarreal, the FC Bayern coach did not think it made sense to go into an initial analysis. One must first “let the events sink in and find peace,” said Nagelsmann. So did he.
On Wednesday, Nagelsmann walked around the field lost in thought during training for the reservists, while the permanent staff regenerated upstairs in the fitness room. In initial discussions the day after, the process of coming to terms with the certainty that his first year at FC Bayern will not end satisfactorily. Apart from winning the Supercup, Nagelsmann’s record will probably only include the championship title. Being the first to finish the Bundesliga for the tenth time in a row is a must for the Munich team. Being knocked out of the DFB Cup in the second round due to a 0:5 debacle in Mönchengladbach doesn’t live up to expectations any more than this quarter-final in Europe.
“If we become champions, it will be almost the same result as last season – and I don’t think that’s enough for Bayern Munich,” said Nagelsmann. In the Champions League, “the semifinals are always the minimum goal,” he reminded us, “we didn’t make it.” Not even against a provincial club from a town with 50,000 inhabitants. It was “incredible” to have knocked out Bayern in their stadium, said the 36-year-old captain Raúl Albiol, “it’s a heroic deed for the village of Villarreal – and for us too.”
For the people of Munich, it felt all the more like an embarrassment. The fact that the opponent from the east coast of Spain is the reigning winner of the Europa League does little to change the feeling of pain. Nor that they were much more committed in the second leg than in the first leg, which they lost 1-0. Robert Lewandowski’s 13th goal of the season in the Champions League after 52 minutes was not enough, Villarreal’s counterattack in the 88th minute by Samuel Chukwueze meant the end.
Many questions are now being asked, and in addition to the causes, it is primarily the consequences that are being debated. What mistakes were made? From Nagelsmann and his players, not only in the games against Villarreal, but throughout the season. From their superiors when putting together the squad, which falls behind the first eleven and offers hardly any alternatives. Or with the big issues this season, from the vaccination debate to sponsorship from Qatar, including an escalated annual general meeting. And with the currently open contract issues, which are causing more and more noise, especially in the case of world footballer Lewandowski. These are questions that are often directed at CEO Oliver Kahn, sports director Hasan Salihamidzic and President Herbert Hainer. The 34-year-old coach Nagelsmann had to moderate these topics in his first year in office.
One would “not burst into tears,” said Kahn after the end, but “attack again next year in the Champions League.” But will that be possible if top performers like Lewandowski, Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer are unlikely to get any stronger as footballers get older? Massive investments in the squad, with which Munich used to react to such a disappointment, hardly seem possible on an international scale. Nevertheless, Kahn has set the standard for the future to regularly be among the top four in Europe.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann knows that he will be under more scrutiny in his second year. This is one of the reasons why he formulated a demand on Tuesday evening that had already been expressed by his predecessor Hansi Flick when he had repeatedly called for reinforcements in vain. Nagelsmann put it this way: »It is important that you always put in what is supposed to come out on the other side. And if the claim is the same, then like all other top European teams, we will have to look around.« Kahn, Salihamidzic and Hainer will have heard it. And are now also required.
