When Julian Nagelsmann started his job at FC Bayern a few months ago, there was already no doubt that he had the technical expertise.
But there are also a few other not entirely unimportant recruitment criteria for football coaches, especially in Munich.
The moderation talent required for a star ensemble like that of the record champions, for example.
Or resilience, especially in troubled times.
Nagelsmann is now having to prove that he is also good as a crisis manager, on several different terrains at the same time.
He's doing the club extremely well in days like these.
Not just because he manages to keep the team focused on the sport.
With the arduous but well-deserved 1-0 victory over Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday, the Munich team proved that they were not distracted by the recent turbulence.
At least in terms of sport, everything is in order before the important Bundesliga duel against pursuers Borussia Dortmund on Saturday (6.30 p.m.).
It is important, said Thomas Müller, that you go into this game as the leader of the table.
For a few weeks now, Nagelsmann has been moderating topics within and outside of his area of expertise.
The vaccination debate with the area of tension, on the one hand, showing understanding for the previously unvaccinated players and, on the other hand, having to persuade them.
"These topics move you"
The personnel situation due to the quarantine regulations for the unvaccinated, the failures due to positive corona tests. And now also the recent turbulence at the annual general meeting last Thursday, the conflict between the top of the club and members over Qatar sponsorship. He appears as a reconciler, shows understanding for one side and for the other. “I can understand the arguments of the club, but also the arguments of the fans. These issues are moving, ”said Nagelsmann. Discussions are healthy, but they have to be conducted “on a smaller scale”, “without media, without interfering”, that leads “to a significantly better result”, he said.
That can quickly become too much for a coach, especially since he is also the mouthpiece of the club at the moment.
Because the top of the club has been silent in public since Thursday, leaving the communication and thus also the crisis management to the trainer - and a bit to the experienced Thomas Müller.
He said on the subject of the annual general meeting that he “always got to know FC Bayern as a member club”.
Subject preoccupies him
"I think that the right people will come together in the future to smooth things over." On Sunday, CEO Oliver Kahn spoke up.
“The annual general meeting on Thursday is of course still very much on my mind.
Apparently, some of the emotions that will be important to me in the future have not arrived, ”he tweeted.
No problem at all, says Nagelsmann.
At 34 years of age he has “a very good energy level”.
He also knew what he was doing when he signed the contract with FC Bayern in the spring.
"When you take over a world club as a coach, political issues are part of it every now and then," he said.
He still has "enough capacity" to take care of the sporting side.
To prepare for the top game in Dortmund, for example.
"It's a tightrope walk"
For the first time in a long time, he can train with almost the entire team for a few days at a time. You want to "bring some content through," he said. For example, to prepare Jamal Musiala for a possible starting line-up in midfield, in the position of Joshua Kimmich, who, like Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, will also be absent in Dortmund due to the positive Corona test. But Nagelsmann has to slow himself down. "It's a tightrope walk that you don't exaggerate because as a coach you are delighted that the whole team is finally back on the training ground."
Nagelsmann can ignore the non-athletic topics for at least a few days, presumably except for Corona.
Behind the scenes, President Herbert Hainer has now taken the first step.
He called Michael Ott, the member who triggered the conflict with the application to terminate the sponsorship agreement with Qatar Airways and had caused the Presidium to appear in a bad light.
"A personal meeting with Qatar and the YHV" had been agreed, tweeted Ott shortly afterwards.
“The date has not yet been set.
What is certain, however, is that the conflict must be resolved. "
Even though the topic of the annual general meeting “does not burden the team very much”, as Nagelsmann assures, Captain Manuel Neuer also suggests that he would appreciate a quick solution to the dispute with the grassroots. "The bad mood around football is not good," he said. “We need the support of the fans.” They were noticeably reticent against Bielefeld, although they did without protest posters as they did at the last home game, but mostly also loud cheers, which is why the around 400 Arminia supporters who traveled among the 12,000 spectators for almost 90 minutes long set the tone in the Munich arena.
Was it because it took until the 71st minute before FC Bayern cracked the East Westphalian defensive bar and finally overcame goalkeeper Stefan Ortega with a remarkable long-range shot from Leroy Sané?
Probably not.