– I think about it often. Julian Nagelsmann was only 36 years old when last year he was given the honorable task of taking over as manager of the German national team. With that role, and moreover before an EC on home soil, there will be pressure. But Nagelsmann has a background that means he is equipped to deal with it. One incident in particular has helped shape him as a person and football coach. In 2008, when Nagelsmann was 21 years old, he experienced a personal tragedy when his father Erwin chose to take his own life at the age of 56. LOST HIS FATHER: Julian Nagelsmann experienced the nightmare. Photo: AP – A big wound in life The Germany boss never forgets the moment he got the message. In an interview with Der Spiegel, he opens up. – At the time I was on coaching training in Oberhaching where I took my C coaching course. Suddenly the course director came and wanted to have a chat. I joked and said: “Am I already too good for this course?”. But the smile quickly disappeared when he received the heartbreaking message. Nagelsmann later described the incident as “a big wound in life”. TOUGH EXPERIENCE: Julian Nagelsmann loses his father to suicide. Photo: WITTERS His father was a secret agent The Germany coach became aware early on that his father did not live a normal life. In his teens, he learned that dad Erwin worked for a long time for the Federal Intelligence Service as a secret agent. – I’m not allowed to say anything more about it, and I don’t even know exactly what he did. But he was not in the administration, he says in an interview with Der Spiegel. Both Nagelsmann and his grandfather thought Erwin was a soldier before he finally told the truth. The father left no suicide note or other explanation as to why he chose to end his life. But Nagelsmann believes it was a combination of his workload and his general condition that led to it. He remembers that his father changed a lot towards the end, revealing the weight of pressure at work. Took responsibility after the death Nagelsmann immediately returned to the family home after the death and took on a whole bunch of administrative tasks to help out. – I saw it as my responsibility to take care of things and handle what comes with a person’s death, such as in our case: selling the house, handling insurance and the car. I had to organize everything, things I had never thought of before, but which had to be dealt with. Having to go through all this helped me come to terms with it, he says. YOUNG, BUT EXPERIENCED: Julian Nagelsmann is one of the youngest coaches in the EC, but has already experienced more than many of them. Photo: WITTERS Today he looks back on the incident with the certainty that he has used it for something positive. – It was absolutely the saddest moment in my life. I would of course have preferred it differently, but in the end all the responsibility helped me in my growth and development as a man and later as a trainer, he believes. – Open your eyes He believes that the experience has made him able to ignore top football and all the expectations that come with the role of head coach. – You realize that there are so many more important things in life than football. It opens your eyes. It helps you make decisions that others may not be able to make, and as a coach you are faced with decisions all the time. You experience and feel a lot of pressure in this job, but then your private life shows you that there are many more important things around, he says. – I am passionate about football, but that is not everything for me. I love it, but it’s not life or death, he adds. SUCCESS: Nagelsmann has won the Bundesliga and the Supercup with Bayern. Photo: AP – I think he had to grow up very quickly because of that. That’s what Heiko Niedderer says to news. He has the job title of “chief reporter” in the major German newspaper Bild, and has followed Nagelsmann’s career closely as both a Bayern and Germany writer. He believes it is easy to see that the tragic event has shaped him as a person. – He became very mature at a young age. And he always talked about that too, that he had to be the man in the family and take care of his siblings. Yes. I think it was a very great experience in life. Not a good one, of course, but an experience, says Niedderer to news on the phone from Germany. There, Niedderer will follow Germany every day of the championship, and have daily contact with Nagelsmann. He says that the Germany boss is a pleasure to work with. – There are people in football who do not like to talk to the media, but he is not that type. He likes to explain things, and he’s good at it. When he was in Bavaria, there was a lot of focus on the coronavirus and vaccines. He had to talk about many things that were difficult, but he is very good at it, says the Bild reporter. READY FOR EM: Heiko Niedderer will cover the championship for Bild. Photo: Private – What makes him special Niedderer praises the star coach for understanding the role of the press. He believes the 36-year-old is not afraid to offer himself. – Some coaches say that they only want to talk about football, but he is not like that. He is very good at being himself and spending time explaining the choices he makes and how he sees things. That’s what makes him special. He likes to explain what lies behind what he does. When asked by news how Nagelsmann stands out as a coach, the Bild reporter quickly replies: – He is a good motivator. He has become famous for pushing the players in the right direction and motivating them. He is still good at that. He speaks well, has good tactics and motivates the players. But he is also very good at explaining things to the audience. But one cannot underestimate that he is a good tactical coach. He has his own idea about football. – How would you describe the popularity he has with the Germans right now? – He is very popular. There are, of course, some who think he is a little superior at times. Some people think he talks too much and is a little too fond of his own voice. But I think people like him, because he explains things very well. He is ambitious. He wants to have fun on the pitch, wants to play football and be attack oriented. Most people like him. BIDS FOR HIMSELF: Julian Nagelsmann is not hostile to the press, as several of his colleagues tend to be. Photo: WITTERS – More complicated Nagelsmann now faces one of the most important challenges in his professional life so far, the EC on home soil. Being national team coach is completely different from what he has been used to in the past, he says. – It is more complicated to change things compared to when you are a club manager. You have to talk to your staff a lot, you have to talk to individual players, in the blink of an eye, so what you say really sinks in. You have to give the messages to the players at the right time, so it has a real effect on the team, he says. – There are many considerations that are made behind the scenes that the public does not notice, he adds. In the EC, Germany has ended up in what many consider an easy group and will face Scotland, Hungary and Switzerland. Nagelsmann has no doubts about what the big goal is. – We obviously have an idea to win the tournament. If we give it our all, it can happen. Many things must be connected, as is the case for all teams. There is already an expectation that we will do better than we have done in recent years, and our supporters are excited to have the tournament on home ground, he says in a recent interview with Uefa. It is only the second time that Germany has hosted an EC. READY FOR EC: Julian Nagelsmann will lead Germany to EC gold, if everything goes as he hopes. Photo: AFP Bild reporter Heiko Niedderer does not think Nagelsmann has to lead Germany to European Championship gold for the Germans to think he has done a good job. – No, I don’t think he has to win. But he should maybe reach the quarter- or semi-finals and play some good matches. It is more important. If Germany get to the semi-finals but play crap games, people will be disappointed. If Germany plays good football and good matches, but loses in a close match against France in a quarter-final, people will think it is okay. – What do you think about the chances of the Germans winning the EC? – I think there is a chance for that, especially if we find the rhythm. I think the fans can be a big factor, and I think we can go far. But on the other hand, in the last few tournaments we have learned that we are not invincible. Germany plays the opening match against Scotland on Friday at 21:00. You can hear the match on news Sport on the radio or watch it on TV 2. Do you need to talk to someone? If you need to talk to someone after reading this case, there are several helplines, chat services and support groups where you can share your thoughts and feelings completely anonymously, and get support, advice and guidance: Mental health on the helpline 116 123 Mental helse also has a chat, which you can find at mentalhelse.no. Church SOS chat service: soschat.no Church SOS also has a helpline on 22 40 00 40 Cross on the neck from the Red Cross: 800 33 321 Cross on the neck also has chat: korspåhalsen.no In urgent cases, call 113 Sami national competence service – mental health care and drugs 78 96 74 00 This is where Jakob’s phantom career started 00:51 Bought an autograph for NOK 10,000 01:08 Everyone is fooled with this celebration 00:54 This is how Iuel explains the exchange mistake: – Taking it on my coat 00:40 Show more Published 14.06.2024, at 12.46 p.m
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– The saddest blink of an eye in my life – Football European Championship 2024
