Bayern's Nagelsmann trapped in curious home-office coaching

BERLIN, Oct 26 Online coaching isn't a trendsetting concept for football coaches, said Bayern's head coach Julian Nagelsmann.

"You might be able to do a lot of things for your team. But in my perspective, it's much better to be around in person and get direct access to your players," the Bayern Munich coach said ahead of his team's encounter against Borussia Moenchengladbach on Wednesday.

The German Cup game is the third game Nagelsmann will be missing after a positive test last week forced the fully vaccinated 34-year-old into quarantine.

Nagelsmann missed his team's Champions League group encounter against Benfica last week, last weekend's Bundesliga game against the TSG Hoffenheim and, he won't be around for the duel in Moenchengladbach.

A new test this Tuesday didn't show the needed results "which means I have to continue doing my job from outside."

The Bayern coach shows light symptoms after he had caught a cold before the positive test.

While the Bayern coach in Lisbon counted on a phone connection out of a hotel, he meanwhile established all necessary items to run his team from a home office with the help of his assistant coaches, reports Xinhua.

Bayern's media technique staff provided additional tools to his home. "All things I normally keep in my club office have been shifted to here," he said in an online interview.

"Staff members brought a tactic board, which makes things much easier to explain from outside," the coach said.

Nagelsmann added, he set up a command centre in his private house and received an update regarding technical options.

"Our analyzing section told me about how to show video clips and speak to the team at the same time. I am often filming things and show it to the team," the former Leipzig manager added.

Nagelsmann admitted to having turned into a frequent phone user "as I before wasn't much on the phone."

Home-office doesn't mean unlimited free time, he said. "I don't relax on my sofa all the time. I still prepare the strategic plans for our matches and do what I always do when things go normal."

Nagelsmann admitted to occasionally watching a movie "but most of the time I am busy with football games and my team's matters."

Having to rely on the home office "tells me every football team needs his coach around. Teams of Bayern's class might do many things automatically but there are several points when it needs the coach's interference."

Nagelsmann said he is far from being bored "as my laptop is constantly in use to prepare our match plan for our team."

While he seemed to have learned a lot about today's technical possibilities, direct face-to-face contact makes things round as not only the playing staff is affected but all club employees.

Nagelsmann said he and the club are in close contact with the health authorities. "The next test is due this Thursday and I hope it doesn't take too long to get the permission to return."

Home office, the Bayern coach added, "isn't what a football coach is dreaming of. It might be suitable for other jobs to some extent, but a coach needs to see his players' eyes and smell grass in daily training routines."