The article discusses a handshake. - RB chief's controversial move deprived Bayern of Nagelsmann.
In the podcast "Spielmacher - The UEFA Euro Championship Podcast by 360Media with Sebastian Hellmann," the CEO of Red Bull and Leipzig's supervisory board, Oliver Mintzlaff (48), discusses Nagelsmann, who he recruited from Hoffenheim in 2019 and later let go to join Bayern in 2021.
Mintzlaff candidly acknowledges, "When we sold him, it felt like a dagger in my soul. He was, and remains, a stellar coach who left a lasting impression on us. I often found myself thinking about Julian, wishing he'd stayed with us and helped us advance further."
With Nagelsmann's leadership, Leipzig almost won the German championship.
Mintzlaff admits, "I believe that if we had maintained that continuity—so essential in sports and football—we might've achieved even more, potentially becoming German champions."
Under Nagelsmann, Leipzig placed third in the Bundesliga in his inaugural season and second in his second. During the 2019-2020 season, they reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League—a feat unmatched to date.
Then, in the summer of 2021, Bayern paid up to €25 million to acquire Nagelsmann. The value was inflated by performance-based bonuses after the initial payment of €7 million.
During discussions, Mintzlaff began with an offer of €7 million.
The RB boss explains, "That's how the first conversation ended—and I was still content, because I thought, 'Julian can stay with us.' But Bayern's representatives, including Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidžić, were determined to acquire Nagelsmann and agreed to pay up to €25 million in performance-based clauses after the initial €7 million."
Initially, there was a handshake agreement—an unwritten agreement sanctioned by RB management. Mintzlaff recalls, "I delivered a riveting speech, stating, 'There's no get-out clause here. If you want to come now, great. If not, you'll have to go elsewhere.' Then, Julian slammed me, saying, 'Alright.' An hour later, he approached me and I was forcefully hit by him and Ralf (Rangnick, ed.) as well."
Following Nagelsmann's departure, the coaching position at Leipzig underwent considerable turnover. Jesse Marsch left after half a year, Domenico Tedesco departed after ten months. Now, Marco Rose is cooling his heels and concluded the season with a fourth-place finish for RB.
Mintzlaff laments, "Given our ambitions and previous investments, I would have loved for us to outrun Stuttgart."
In the podcast, Mintzlaff also shares his impressions of Bayern's hunt for a new coach as they seek a replacement for Thomas Tuchel, who parted ways with the team in February.
The record champions have faced rejection from several names on their shortlist: Xabi Alonso, national coach Julian Nagelsmann, Ösi coach Ralf Rangnick, and Oliver Glasner of Crystal Palace.
Mintzlaff quips, "Aside from that, Bayern has been a consistent client for us. But at the moment, we have nothing that would justify a €25 million purchase."
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Source: symclub.org
