Paris Saint-Germain's Lionel Messi (L) vies with Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman during their first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Feb. 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)
With upcoming Bundesliga matches against title rivals Union Berlin and the second leg against PSG coming up, the upcoming weeks may decide Julian Nagelsmann's future.
By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The unpleasant field of tensions at present seems to have no borders for Bayern Munich and Julian Nagelsmann.
Only days after the 1-0 victory in the first leg last-16 UEFA Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain, it seems a challenge to keep several delicate issues under control for the Bavarians and their head coach - not only because of Saturday's Bundesliga defeat against Borussia Monchengladbach.
With upcoming Bundesliga matches against title rivals Union Berlin and the second leg against PSG coming up, it seems more than a bold guess that the upcoming weeks will decide Nagelsmann's future.
Bayern and their coach find themselves at a crossroad.
DISCIPLINE ISSUES
With Serge Gnabry's disputed trip for a fashion-week trip to Paris and the repeatedly late arrivals of Leroy Sane to training sessions, the increasing impression is that Nagelsmann is in danger of losing the locker room.
While every case needs to be seen individually, the malaise ends up on the shoulders of the head coach. The former RB Leipzig manager faces exceptional pressure after Bayern's club leaders addressed his demands regarding coaching staff, new arrivals for the squad and training facilities.
MULLER PROBLEM
Not to speak of the challenge of dealing with the situation of Thomas Muller. The aging club icon has lost his place in the starting 11, but remains irreplaceable due to his experience and internal influence.
After having played only 14 minutes against PSG, the 33-year-old forward was substituted against Monchengladbach after only 16 minutes, thanks to an early red card for defender Dayot Upamecano.
UNCONTROLLED EMOTIONS
The coach's reactions in Monchengladbach indicate that Nagelsmann is struggling to control his emotions when under pressure. His comparatively young age might be one reason.
The Bayern coach might have apologized for his verbal misstep in calling the refereeing team "a softened bunch", but it inevitably triggered an unpleasant debate about cause and effect.
As a fact, Nagelsmann needs to deliver positive results against Union Berlin next Sunday and against PSG on March 8.
LINE-UP CHOICE
The Bayern coach seems to be struggling to keep his second-string players in a good mood while securing the team's flow.
He faces critics for not having chosen his best line-up for the delicate encounter in Monchengladbach. The problems increased when things surprisingly went wrong after having to continue with only 10 players after only eight minutes.
Bayern's Bundesliga rivals coming that near and possibly outpacing the Bavarian side is causing additional tensions, aside from the club's Champions League ambitions.
DARK CLOUDS OVER NEUER
Tensions around the 2014 World Cup winner haven't been resolved after the dismissal of his favorite goalkeeper coach.
The statements of Nagelsmann, sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic and former president Uli Hoeness indicate more dark clouds in Bayern's skies can be expected. ■
