Bayern coach likens players to 'mole' for revealing tactics
Bayern have always played with a 4-2-3-1 system for more than a decade and have enjoyed great success. But when this system was less effective, Nagelsmann adjusted Bayern's squad to a three-back formation after the 2022 World Cup.
Some tactical tables showing how "Gray Lobster" changes the gameplay have been leaked, and published in the German newspaper Bild on March 16. It was originally extracted from Bayern's analysis video before the match against Bochum in the Bundesliga on February 11, when "Gray Lobster" won 3-0 thanks to Thomas Muller, Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman. These are the tactical boards that Nagelsmann prepared to instruct the students how to move and deploy the ball according to the three-back system.
Nagelsmann got angry and called the person who leaked the information to the media a "mole". He said: "Moles are very well-hidden animals so finding them is very, very complicated. People who leak such information will harm all the players and the club."
Nagelsmann is not worried because the leaked information is not about Bayern's training sessions, but just the preparation plan for a specific match. The 35-year-old coach also questioned the intent of the person who leaked such information to the media, calling the incident a "betrayal of football rules". "I thought a lot and wondered, what is the purpose of such an informant, what are they hoping for? I don't know the motive. It can't be for financial reasons, because it helps themselves. Bayern's opponent. It's important to me that I can look in the mirror, and this guy can't," added Nagelsmann.
The information leak appeared at a time when the La Liga championship race was tense. Before round 26, Bayern took the lead and was two points ahead of Dortmund. However, the Ruhr club took the top spot by crushing Cologne 6-1 in the early game.
In addition to the Bundesliga, Nagelsmann's teachers and students also played the German Cup with the quarter-final against Freiburg on April 4 and the Champions League with two quarter-finals against Man City.
A few weeks ago, Bayern terminated the contract of goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalovic - who has worked for more than a decade. The source of this decision is said to be related to leaked information from the coaching staff. Captain Manuel Neuer was displeased with this decision and publicly criticized the club in an interview. Everything was resolved satisfactorily when the German goalkeeper talked to the Bayern leadership and accepted to pay the fine.
