Bayern Munich appoint Leipzig's Nagelsmann to replace Flick
German champions Bayern Munich on Tuesday anointed Julian Nagelsmann as head coach from the start of next season.
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The 33-year-old RB Leipzig boss will take over from Hansi Flick who has asked to leave after leading the side to six titles in 2020 including the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
They are on course for a ninth consecutive Bundesliga title.
Nagelsmann, who has been at Leipzig since 2019, will join the Bavarians on a five-year deal from 1 July.
Payment
Nagelsmann's contract at Leipzig had been scheduled to run until 2023 but Bayern are understood to have agreed to a payment that could exceed 20 million euros for Nagelmann’s release.
“The two clubs have finalised details and I am happy it happened," Nagelsmann said.
"In the coming weeks I will not be talking about it any more. I am still a Leipzig employee and we still have five games. We want to finish second in the league and win the German Cup."
Rise
Nagelsmann became the youngest Bundesliga coach when he took over at Hoffenheim five years ago at the age of 28.
He gained a reputation for his forensic tactical preparations and moved to Leipzig after Ralf Rangnick stepped down.
In his first season, Leipzig finished third in the Bundesliga and reached the semis of the Champions League where they lost to Paris Saint-Germain.
In this season's competition, they progressed to the knockout stages from a group containing PSG and Manchester United. Liverpool though cruised past them 4-0 on aggregate in the last-16.
In the Bundesliga, Leipzig kept the pressure on Bayern until mid April when a 0-0 home draw and 2-1 loss at Koln allowed the Bavarians to pull away.
"Julian Nagelsmann represents a new generation of coaching," said Bayern president Herbert Hainer.
"Despite his young age he has already had an impressive track record.
"We are convinced that with him we will continue the success of the past years."
Comparison
The wunderkind though will be judged rather by the more immediate Flickometer.
After taking over a misfiring side from Niko Kovac in November 2019, Flick transformed Bayern’s fortunes.
They came through a campaign suspended during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic to win the 2020 Bundesliga - their eighth on the trot and the DFB Pokal.
They saw off Barcelona in the quarters, Lyon in the semis and PSG in the final to claim the reconfigured Champions League crown in Lisbon in July.
In the autumn, they went on to hoist the European Super Cup, the German Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
“For me the past two years have been unforgettable," Flick said in a club statement. "It was an outstanding time.
"You only have success together. A coach is nothing without a team and I was lucky to have fantastic players in Munich."
Flick is among the front runners to succeed Joachim Loew as head coach of the Germany national team after the summer’s European Championships.
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