Oliver Kahn euphoric as Julian Nagelsmann heralds a new era at Bayern Munich
A new era is dawning at Bayern Munich with Julian Nagelsmann just the man to usher it in for the record champions and their fans, according to club legend and current CEO, Oliver Kahn.
With Hansi Flick leaving this summer to become the new head coach of the Germany national team, the record champions identified Nagelsmann as the perfect replacement to take them forward in pursuit of a tenth straight Bundesliga title.
According to Kahn, who succeeded Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as CEO in July, the former RB Leipzig coach who first hit the headlines as the youngest coach in Bundesliga history with Hoffenheim, is the ideal tactician to fill Flick’s boots.
“I think that people are craving something fresh, something new with this pandemic; something projected towards the future,” Kahn told Bayern’s official matchday magazine ‘51’ of Nagelsmann’s appointment.
“That creates excitement and excitement is always good. Euphoria is even better, and that’s what we’re feeling right now.”
Watch: Julian Nagelsmann's tactical norms
Bayern’s recent on-field success has been unrelenting, with a sixth UEFA Champions League title sandwiched between two more Bundesliga titles and helping to secure an historic sextuple in 2019/20 that was backed up by last year’s top-flight success.
Kahn’s plan for the future foresees more trophies arriving to adorn their already bulging trophy cabinets, with the likes of Thomas Müller, Robert Lewandowski and Manuel Neuer further cementing their names in club folklore.
“We’re Bayern Munich and what sets us apart from all the other clubs is that we’ve got a very strong community and a very strong culture of success here,” Kahn said. “Others also have a winning mentality, but we have this very particular winning ability. You learn how to win titles here and that’s extremely distinct.
“From my own experience, I can say how much it gives you as a player to shape an era. Many players only realise how much it means to be a defining part of an era when their career is over.”
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Kahn won eight Bundesliga titles and six DFB Cups during his playing days with the Bavarians, lifting the Champions League and the UEFA Cup once and also getting his hands on the FIFA Club World Cup.
He therefore knows what it means to be part of a successful era on the field, and is now using that experience to carry forward a similarly successful one from his office at the club’s Säbener Straße headquarters. Above all, he wants to ensure everybody involved in the club plays a part in delivering yet more glory.
“The aim I’ve set on a sporting level is to repeat our past successes,” Kahn said. “Our rivals are going to be hunting us like never before so we’ve got to be ready for that. My aim in general is that the Bayern fans say: ‘this is my club, the best club in the world’. Our fans should feel proud of their club.
“We want to continue to belong to the top three in Europe.”
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