Taking control of a team second from bottom, out of form and apparently destined for relegation is a difficult task for any manager, let alone one who is making his first foray into, senior-level coaching and younger than many of his players.
That was exactly the situation in which Julian Nagelsmann found himself when, in February last year, the then-28-year-old took the reins of Bundesliga strugglers Hoffenheim and became the youngest manager in the history of the German top flight.
It may have seemed like a hasty decision by Hoffenheim at the time, with most clubs opting for an experienced head to steady the ship in such situations – take Borussia Mönchengladbach’s appointment of Dieter Hecking in December for example – but the move proved inspired.
Not only did Nagelsmann steer Die Kraichgauer to safety, taking 23 points from the final 15 games of the 2015/16 campaign to finish comfortably above the drop zone in 15th, but the young coach, who does not even turn 30 until the off-season, has subsequently continued Hoffenheim’s rapid rise to secure an incredible fourth-place Bundesliga finish this term.
That means that providing they can navigate a two-legged qualifier, Hoffenheim will play in the Champions League next season, pitting themselves against Europe’s elite just 18 months after they appeared condemned to a future in Germany’s second tier.
Although Nagelsmann’s appointment took many by surprise, his ascent to the hot seat at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena had been planned for some time. The Landsberg am Lech-native
stood out as a coach within the club’s youth system, winning a national title with the under-19s and almost retaining the championship the following year, when they narrowly missed out to Schalke.
When Markus Babbel was sacked as Hoffenheim coach during the 2012/13 campaign, caretaker boss Frank Kramer promoted Nagelsmann to the role of his assistant, giving the budding tactician his first taste of sitting on a Bundesliga bench.
“When Frank Kramer called, I had to laugh. I didn’t think he was being serious,” the young coach admitted. Kramer was soon moved back to his role in charge of the reserves as
Markus Gisdol was given the permanent manager’s position, but Nagelsmann remained part of the first-team setup.
As a player, Nagelsmann was a commanding centre-back of some promise at both Augsburg and 1860 Munich, before a serious knee injury ended his hopes of an extended playing career.
However, during his time at Augsburg Nagelsmann crossed paths with Thomas Tuchel, who was reserve team boss at the time. The now-Borussia Dortmund manager gave the young man his first coaching experience, tasking him with scouting opponents and helping with training sessions.
Tuchel remains a confidant of Nagelsmann’s and the Hoffenheim boss has also been open in his admiration of Arsenal’s Arsène Wenger, but he has drawn most inspiration from two recent Bundesliga winners.
“My approach is a mix of Jurgen Klopp’s philosophy of pressing and winning the ball back quickly, rapid transition and counters and then Pep Guardiola and Tuchel’s ideas on possession,” he told The Sun last year.
Nagelsmann soon outgrew his role at Augsburg and, once it became apparent that he was an outstanding talent, Hoffenheim set him on the path to their top job. However, when Huub Stevens had to step down for health reasons last term, the then-28-year-old was thrust into the big time ahead of schedule.
It was a sink-or-swim opportunity for Nagelsmann, who responded by calmly backstroking his way into becoming widely regarded as the hottest young coach in European football. By implementing a fluid, back three system he has made Hoffenheim simultaneously difficult to beat and easy on the eye.
He has also cannily blended the experience and knowhow of players like Sandro Wagner and Eugen Polanski with the youthful exuberance and energy of talents such as Niklas Süle and Nadiem Amiri. The platform that Nagelsmann has built has also allowed previously unheralded players like Sebastian Rudy and Mark Uth to shine, with the former having earned a move to champions Bayern Munich.
Süle will also move to the Allianz Arena at the end of the season, and the Germany international pair are not the only Hoffenheim stars to have caught Bayern’s attention - the Bavarian giants are already reportedly eying Nagelsmann as a future manager, while Germany coach Joachim Löw has tipped the 29-year-old as his potential successor.
It is clear to anyone who has witnessed his work in transforming Hoffenheim into one of the best teams in Germany that Nagelsmann is destined for the top. For now he remains committed to his current employers, but he has one eye on eventually moving on to bigger things.
“I want to stabilise the team and play good football,” he said in November. “I am ambitious and want to fight for titles and maybe coach a big German club."
There is no doubt that Julian Nagelsmann is well on his way to doing exactly that.
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