Last month, Thomas Tuchel was appointed as Bayern Munich manager following the sacking of Julian Nagelsmann.
One German manager making way for another at the country's top club. It isn't that bizarre, is it? It is rather strange when you consider the pair worked together during the 2007/08 season when they were both at Augsburg. Nagelsmann and Tuchel didn't work directly together but the latter gave the former, who was the reserve-team coach at the time, the job of scouting upcoming opponents to try and gain the upper-hand on them.
"That was my way into coaching," Nagelsmann said on Tuchel, as per the Bundesliga website. "I learned a lot from him."
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The feeling of respect was very much mutual. "He's a very inquisitive and very hardworking young coach," Tuchel said on Nagelsmann when he was appointed as manager at Hoffenheim. "He enjoyed exceptional successes in youth football. I'm very happy for him and I believe in him."
Those comments from Tuchel were back in 2016 when Nagelsmann landed his first professional managerial job at Hoffenheim. Since then, the 35-year-old coach has won three major honours, all of them coming in the 2021/22 season with Bayern Munich, as well as helping to build RB Leipzig up to one of the most promising sides in Europe.
Nagelsmann has built a unique style of play, one that has seen him become one of the most sought-after managers in European football. Chelsea are all too aware of that and are seriously interested in the German becoming the club's next permanent head coach following the sacking of Graham Potter earlier in the month.
The club are still set to speak to a number of other options about the vacant role but football.london understands Nagelsmann is the leading candidate as things stand. The German's CV is something highly admired by the Chelsea board and they believe he has all of the attributes to spearhead their long-term vision at Stamford Bridge.
The fact that he learned from Tuchel during their days at Augsburg could be good news for Chelsea, should he be appointed as the new head coach. Tuchel, of course, did an exceptional job at Chelsea overall, helping them win their second-ever Champions League in his first few months at the club.
The way Tuchel would set up his side for a knockout game of a cup competition was superb and something that hugely benefitted the club. The issue with Tuchel, though, was that he and the board did not see eye-to-eye on the long-term vision, hence the decision to part ways last year.
Nagelsmann's playing style is very attacking, something the Chelsea board are keen on seeing at their club. In fact, in Nagelsmann's own words, it has plenty of similarities to the sort of style we've seen Tuchel use at various clubs over the years.
"I like to attack the opponents near their own goal because your own path to the goal is not as long if you get the ball higher up," Nagelsmann said in the past. "I like the way Villarreal play and they have a great way of coaching young players. I also like Barcelona and Arsenal as well as the work of Arsene Wenger."
Nagelsmann's tactical flexibility and openness to new ideas is something that makes the young German coach stand out to the rest. He's also a fantastic man-manager and that has been referenced by some of his former players.
RB Leipzig left-back Angelino said this on Nagelsmann two years ago when the pair were working together at the Red Bull Arena. "He gave my career an enormous push. When he speaks to you, he's very direct, very friendly. I have the feeling that we have a good relationship," said Angelino.
Christopher Nkunku, who will become a Chelsea player before the 2023/24 season, shares a similar view on his former manager. He said this three years ago. "Julian Nagelsmann expects a lot from me, and he's demanding about what I do in training and games. That's taken me further. He also talks a lot about tactics," he said.
Everything, on paper, is pointing towards Nagelsmann right now. The supporters want him, the club seemingly want him, but there is still plenty of work to do before Chelsea appoint their next permanent head coach.
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