Julian Nagelsmann answers Manuel Neuer after an interview

ACoach Julian Nagelsmann is also critical of Manuel Neuer’s statements in two interviews and the resulting fuss at Bayern Munich. “From my perspective, I would not have given the interview, especially if it reads that the club is in the foreground,” said Nagelsmann (35) on DAZN before the Munich game at VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday. “Of course that doesn’t exactly help to calm things down, it’s haunted by the gazettes and it occupies the whole of football in Germany.”

Nagelsmann reported that he explained to Neuer the separation from goalkeeper coach Toni Tapalovic “well before the interview” in private, among other things, that it was “a good conversation”. “The way I chose not to make it public, to tell him the reasons why the separation came about, was the right one in my opinion,” emphasized the coach. “In general, it’s always the case with me, I’m a person in need of harmony, my door is never closed, even if I had chosen a different path.”

In an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” and “The Athletic”, Neuer verbally attacked the record champions’ club leadership for the separation from Tapalovic. That was “the most blatant” thing he had experienced in his career, said the newcomer who had been missing for a long time with a broken leg. “It was a blow for me when I was already on the ground. I had the feeling my heart was being ripped out.” At the request of the German Press Agency, Bayern boss Oliver Kahn had announced “clear talks” with Neuer.

Kimmich flies off the field with yellow-red

Nagelsmann did not specifically answer the question of whether Neuer was still the captain when he returned after a broken leg. “Manu should get fit again and enjoy football again, it’s not an easy phase. In general, I’ve always emphasized that he’s the best goalkeeper in the world, I hope he comes back healthy, everything else is a dream of the future,” said the coach.

In terms of sport, the Munich team gave a remarkable response to the big row over their captain. The team was unimpressed by the fuss and regained the briefly lost lead in the Bundesliga with a 4-2 (3-1) win at VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday evening. “At the end of the day we have to concentrate on the sport,” said Joshua Kimmich, who saw yellow-red in the 54th minute, at DAZN after the game. “We did that today, we won today. At the end of the day, that always gives the club the most peace and quiet when we win the games.”

Leon Goretzka paid the team a “big compliment”: “The resistance we had to fight against today wasn’t that small.” Two goals from Kingsley Coman (9th/14th minute) and a header goal set the new Munich record field player Thomas Müller (19th) achieved a wow effect in less than 20 minutes. Jakub Kaminski from Wolfsburg took advantage of the fact that the Bayern game lost pace and sharpness shortly before half-time to make it 1:3 (44th).

After the break, the game even threatened to tip over. National player Joshua Kimmich saw the yellow-red card in the 54th minute after an unnecessary foul on Maximilian Arnold. Micky van de Ven and Mattias Svanberg (50th) had a great chance to make it 2:3 for VfL, who never gave up. Ridle Baku failed after an hour from close range (61′). This took revenge from Wolfsburg’s point of view when Jamal Musiala scored to make it 4-1 (73′). Svanberg’s goal (81′) no longer jeopardized Munich’s victory. “It didn’t feel like the result,” said Wolfsburg’s Maximilian Arnold. “We were shown how to score goals.”

One of the winners of this game should also be Nagelsmann. Although Neuer’s attack revolved around the separation from his close friend and goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalovic (“I had the feeling my heart was being ripped out”). But she also provoked the question of whether the currently injured goalkeeper would have dared to do something like that with Pep Guardiola, Jupp Heynckes or another coach than the 35-year-old, who is no longer undisputed within the team.

However, Nagelsmann found the right way to deal with this sportingly piquant situation after three Bundesliga games without a win. He also criticized Neuer before the kick-off at DAZN. However, the coach found more compensatory words than CEO Oliver Kahn (“Doesn’t do justice to him as captain or the values ​​​​of FC Bayern”) and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic (“He put his personal interests here above the interests of the club”). Above all, Nagelsmann let his team play in their preferred 4-2-3-1 system, which was different from the convincing 4-0 cup win at FSV Mainz 05. Leroy Sané was allowed to play on the wing instead of in the center, Jamal Musiala back in the tenth position.

A place was also found for club icon Müller – this time as a center forward in place of the ailing Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (gastrointestinal). The 33-year-old played his 427th Bundesliga game in Wolfsburg and is now, together with Gerd Müller, the outfield player with the most top-flight appearances in the history of the German record champions. Only goalkeepers Sepp Maier (473) and Oliver Kahn (429) played more often.

Another Munich problem, in addition to the drop in performance after half an hour, was the bank, which was severely thinned out after eight injuries and illnesses. After Serge Gnabry, Nagelsmann, outnumbered, initially only brought on comparatively inexperienced players such as Josip Stanisic and Mathys Tel.

But Kimmich’s dismissal sharpened Bayern’s senses rather than turning the game around. In the 64th minute, the 17-year-old Tel missed the big chance to make it 4-1. Musiala then raised after a dreamy solo. Shortly after Svanberg’s Wolfsburg goal, Yannick Gerhardt’s supposed 3:4 did not count because of a foul by Baku.