Julian Nagelsmann's supreme talent for coaching has been widely known within German football circles for years and on Thursday he confirmed his brilliance to the watching world.
RB Leipzig toppled Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid to advance to the semi-finals of the Champions League and the 33-year-old coach was praised across Europe.
Nagelsmann's growth mindset is a big reason for all of the success that is coming his way, according to Jan Aage Fjortoft, who was a guest on Friday's OTB AM.
"One of the main strengths of Nagelsmann is that he is a good guy, he is humble," Fjortoft said.
"He is confident in his own abilities but he is a learner. There is no surprise that when [Pep] Guardiola came to Germany he was one of the first to want to know everything about Pep Guardiola."
firo Champions League 1/4 final 08/13/2020 RB Leipzig - Atletico Madrid Lisbon, Portugal, August 13th 2020, final jubilation: coach Julian Nagelsmann (RBL), Marcel Sabitzer (RBL) in the quarterfinal UEFA Champions League match final tournament RB LEIPZIG - ATLETICO MADRID in Season 2019/2020. - UEFA REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS as IMAGE SEQUENCES and / or QUASI-VIDEO - National and international News-Agencies OUT Editorial Use ONLY Peter Schatz / Pool / via / firosportphoto | usage worldwideFjortoft, a former international footballer for Norway, attested to Nagelsmann's enthusiasm for the game. Like all great coaches, he "has an unbelievable passion for football," according to Fjortoft.
On Thursday night, Leipzig flummoxed the 2014 and 2016 finalists, Atletico. The quick and incisive play while in possession coupled with Nagelsmann's tactical flexibility left some questioning Simeone's approach to the game and whether it is outdated.
Their fortunes in the league have been less impressive. At the turn of the year, Leipzig led the Bundesliga only to falter and finish in third place for the second year running.
Nagelsmann put this down to a lack of energy throughout the team. They should not have this problem in Lisbon and in two games' time, Leipzig could hold the European Cup aloft.
The German coach has taken the pressure off of his player's shoulders in the weeks leading up to Lisbon.
Nagelsmann told The Athletic's Raphael Honigstein that "worst case, we're going home after the first game. But our season is not over then, it's only just beginning again. It's, therefore, better to treat this as a pre-season tournament."
While it is highly unlikely anyone in the Leipzig camp believes this to be a reality, particularly in light of last night's result, it is a testament to Nagelsmann's man-management skills as well as his tactical nous.
10 March 2020, Saxony, Leipzig: Football: Champions League, round of 16, RB Leipzig - Tottenham Hotspur in the Red Bull Arena. Fans of RB Leipzig support their team on the stands. Photo: Hendrik Schmidt/dpa-Zentralbild/ZBIn short, it seems that the man has a well-rounded approach to coaching.
German football clubs have placed their faith in young, progressive coaches and there are numerous other examples in the Bundesliga such as Marco Rose at Borussia Monchengladbach.
Premier League clubs are beginning to shift towards this model, according to Fjortoft.
"Even in English football now there is a change of generation you get the Lampards, the Solskjaers, the Artetas into the game. That generation has more or less taken over the different coaching jobs."
While Nagelsmann's brilliance will surely see the man coach across Europe for many years to come, it should be noted that Leipzig's success is not a rags-to-riches story by any means. This was the sense many received during the commentary of Thursday's game.
The club and its supporters are roundly despised by many of their Bundesliga counterparts for skirting the revered 50+1 ownership model.
Leipzig, it has been pointed out, are mainly a marketing vehicle for Red Bull and that does not sit well with traditional German football supporters.
Red Bull sack two US employees who demanded more anti-racism engagement, per reports.
Reminder:
- Red Bull CEO's "populist" views
- Red Bull-owned TV channel hosted far-right figures
- RB Leipzig's previous crackdown on anti-racist fans
For @dw_sportshttps://t.co/iu7cbMPtfs— Felix Tamsut (@ftamsut) July 18, 2020
The club's owner, Dietrich Mateschitz, has been described as populist by Leipzig supporters in the past.
Fjortoft touched on this on OTB AM.
"Red Bull and Dietmar Hopp [Hoffenheim owner] have received a lot of criticism especially towards them in Germany," Fjortoft said.
Leipzig has an existing relationship with Salzburg through Red Bull and have regularly been fed players from the Austrian side, who also played in this season's Champions League.
Some feel this is akin to stacking the deck in a game of poker.
The criticism of the club's business model will undoubtedly continue especially as it rises domestically and in Europe.
Whether Nagelsmann, the innovator, stays at the club for years to come remains to be seen, however, with the young manager at the helm, Leipzig look like they will go from strength-to-strength.
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