Why is coach Julian Nagelsmann (31 years old) as "outstanding" as Kylian Mbappé?

In February 2016, "everyone's eyes widened in Germany" (according to former Wolfsburg coach Valérien Ismaël) when Hoffenheim bet on Julian Nagelsmann to avoid relegation. It must be said that in such a situation of sports crisis, appoint the youngest coach in the history of
the Bundesliga (28 years old) to notably lead an attacker like Kevin Kuranyi (five years older than him) was a bet more than audacious.

"I found Hoffenheim really brave to make this choice, says Valérien Ismaël. The club then revolutionized the young coaching market in Germany. By quickly seeing exceptional qualities as a leader of men and giving him full confidence despite the many criticisms, Hoffenheim has helped the success of Julian Nagelsmann. "

In three years, maintaining then Europa League and Champions League

For he first maintained his team in the Bundesliga (15th after being 7 points behind the first non-relegable on his arrival), then he qualified in the Europa League in 2017, after a barrage of C1 lost to Liverpool (1-2, 2-4) before discovering the Champions League this year, with a key appointment this Wednesday (9 pm) at Parc OL. A path phenomenal for this former defender who stopped his career at the age of 20 due to meniscus injuries.

"He was able to transform his frustration as a player who could not make a professional career into a motivation to launch a great coaching career very early", decrypts Valérien Ismaël, who beat Hoffenheim and Nagelsmann (2-1) in February 2017 with Wolfsburg.

"He wants to accompany his players in every duel"

"He is not conditioned like most coaches by a baggage of ex-pro player having a long career, prolonged Patrick Guillouwho presents the show
Die Bulischau on Monday [22 heures] on beIN Sports. He arrived with carelessness but despite his age, he was able to convince the players by his natural authority, but also because he is brilliant tactically, inspired as much by a Pep Guardiola as a Jürgen Klopp. German U19 Champion Hoffenheim Julian Nagelsmann thrills the audience with an extremely offensive 3-5-2, "with attackers placed in the middle", as evidenced by the spectacular draw (3-3) in the first leg against Lyon.

"He especially knew how to transmit a big confidence in his group, notes Valérien Ismaël. We feel that everyone is with eyes closed on the ground. On the bench, he is very impulsive. With all-terrain pressing, he is demanding a lot of effort from his players and he wants to accompany them in every duel. After his first half-season in the Bundesliga, Julian Nagelsmann already wanted to go beyond the image of tactical genius that was quickly added: "If the coach is at the top of the skills, but an idiot in his human relations, then he will have no success.

"One gets bored very rarely in one of his matches"

And the boy is far from foolish, given his hitherto flawless career, which has drawn in recent months the approaches of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and even Real Madrid. "The Univers Football Club does not exist and there is nothing bigger than Real Madrid. But I'm in the convenient position of being only 31 years old, he explained to 11 Freunde. If my coaching career continues to some extent, I might have another opportunity to take on a team in this category later. At the family level, it was also not good to move abroad now. "

+++ Julian #Nagelsmann neuer #RBL-Cheftrainer zur Season 2019/20 +++

Der 30-Jährige kommt vom Bundesligisten @ achtzehn99 #Hoffenheim zu #RBLeipzig und erhält einen Vertrag bis 2023.

Alle Infos? https://t.co/NKOUJU00ac# Nagelsmann2019 pic.twitter.com/7WcDC2efYt

– RB Leipzig (@DieRotenBullen) June 21, 2018

It is for this reason, and to avoid a new season of incessant speculation about its future that the German prodigy has already engaged with the RB Leipzig for the next season (and until 2023). In the meantime, he intends to give a new course to Hoffenheim, current 7th in a very tight Bundesliga. All while relying faithfully on its principles of "possession game but with verticality, as Patrick Guillou recalls. He is demanding a lot of high-intensity races for his players and Hoffenheim is the team that focuses the most and creates the most opportunities in the Bundesliga. We are bored very rarely in front of one of his matches ", summarizes this specialist of the German championship.

Tactics broadcast on giant screen in full training

Taking advantage of the resources put in place by its billionaire president Dietmar Hopp, founder of the computer company SAP AG, Julian Nagelsmann is also "a technological avant-garde coach". "He is the only one in Germany to use a tablet connected to a giant screen on the training ground to present tactical diagrams to his players in a much more interactive way than conventional video sessions," explains Patrick Guillou.

Finally, despite his youthful face that can attract him as many easy valves as players like Maxime Lopez and Vincent Koziello (there is like a tune, no?), Is it still so often that it's about his 31 years in Germany? Valerian Ishmael has his idea on the subject.

"No, it's like Kylian Mbappé, he's so outstanding and mature that we do not even think about his age anymore. We will see the team playing a high level coach, no matter whether he is 31 or 41 years old. It feels like he has 10 years of experience at the highest level behind him so he improves his results every year. I am even surprised by his choice to join Leipzig because he already has the potential to make the leap and lead higher in England. "

"I did not think the first leg was too difficult"

Germany will still enjoy a bit of the thirties to check shirts and personality soaked. "It often sways pungent things in a press conference," said Patrick Guillou. It was not realized on Tuesday, when he mentioned the 3-3 of the go in a relaxed atmosphere, in shorts and jogging jacket, in the auditorium of Parc OL.

Julian Nagelsmann ?

"In the first game, we are essentially responsible for two of the three goals that we conceded. @OL_English, is not bad at all. We'll make changes to the team and set the team up well. "#OLTSG pic.twitter.com/plpgfrAIz2

– TSG Hoffenheim EN (@ achtzehn99_en) November 6, 2018

"I did not think this match was too difficult. It's just that we practically put two goals ourselves and we could have scored more than three in view of all our chances. At this rate, we are very curious to discover the trust that Julian Nagelsmann will show in 2038, when he celebrates his 5th Champions League with a grand player from Europe.