Leaked! Bayern Coach’s Note That Eliminated PSG And Earned Germans $12 Million

Bayern Munich’s coach Julian Nagelsmann is angry once again. Angry with the media, but more than that, angry with a dressing room mole. SportBild, a German sports weekly, has published detailed tactical sketches by the German coach.

In a public press conference on Friday, ahead of Bayern’s Bundesliga match in Leverkusen, Nagelsmann aired his grievances. “I am annoyed and I think about it a lot. I think to myself, what is the motive of the person who leaks something like this? What is the purpose?”

Two days later, Bayern lost 2-1 against Leverkusen. As a result, the German giants lost the Bundesliga’s top spot to Dortmund. So, is the Munich mole to blame?

The leaked coaching notes, hand-drawn on a template of the Allianz Arena pitch, outline Nagelsmann’s new tactical setup for Bayern.

It’s a formation revolution in Munich, one that blows up the German club’s title-winning 4-2-3-1 of the past decades.

Instead, Nagelsmann now operates with a backline of three instead of two central defenders.

Even Paris Saint-Germain could not crack the new code: Paris’ attacking armada around Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe did not score a single goal against Bayern in 180 Minutes. (1-0 in Paris, 2-0 in Munich.) Bayern Munich qualified for the quarter-final and earned $12 million in UEFA prize money alone.

Led by the back three of Matthijs de Ligt, Dayot Upamecano and Munich’s homegrown talent Josip Stanisic, it was Nagelsmann’s novel 3-2-4-1 formation that eliminated Messi, Mbappe and Neymar from the Champions League.

In the Nagelsmann system, many responsibilities fall on the two wide players, whom Nagelsmann labels as “jokers” in the leaked drawings. Essentially, the jokers are wing-backs with both defensive and playmaking duties.

In recent games, Alphonso Davies, Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry and ManCity loanee Joao Cancelo have all been employed in the two joker positions.

The coach’s secret sketches were never intended to be seen outside of the Allianz Arena. Nagelsmann’s tactical plans are elaborate, up to the nitty-gritty of when to play a chip ball from the right flank onto the second goalpost.

Unsurprisingly, Nagelsmann is furious at the anonymous person who infringed on Bayern’s sacred dressing room privacy. “It’s important to me that I can look myself up and down in the mirror at night. This person can’t look in the mirror. It’s a disgraceful thing to do,” said the coach.

The international break brings a welcome respite to Bayern’s Sabener Strasse training grounds. As 14 squad members travel with their respective national teams, Nagelsmann can work in relative peace with his remaining players. It won’t last long, however.

On April 1st, Bayern Munich will host Borussia Dortmund in the Allianz Arena. It’s a Bundesliga summit game: The Ruhr Valley rivals lead the Bavarians by one point in the standings.

To reclaim pole position in the league, Nagelsmann may have to go back to the drawing board. Only time will tell if his new tactical sketches will also find their way into the printing press.