What did you, Mr Nerlinger, are the most pleasure in all your career stations? Professional footballer, sports director at Bayern, Managing Director at ProSieben / Sat1 or now your current job as a consultant?
**** Mostly fun did when I was a 14-year-old footballer at TSV Forest Ried a trial at Bayern Munich. After these 90 minutes, the coach said to me, “You come to FC Bayern.” I could hardly believe it. Take this challenge was madness. In a positive sense. I will never forget that. And my first profi year under Erich Ribbeck: German Master, 32 Games, Twelve Goals. I’m floating. If you are healthy as a player, if you feel to be in the right place, it is very difficult to toppen that at some point. These were certainly two milestones.
And beyond?
**** A statement of Uli Hoeneß when I was team manager. He came to my desk and said that his succession was still open and that I should give gas. Him fell as I work. That was brutal. A knights at this level.
What was the tricky task or station for you so far?
**** I came in a phase to Bayern, in the changes. Uli Hoeneß followed on Franz Beckenbauer as President and Supervisory Board. He quickly knew that he would exercise the offices differently than the Emperor – I do not think that all others in the club have known. Getting into this transition as a sports director was not always easy. Uli Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge are two absolutely charismatic people who can take you, by which I could learn a lot. Between two such alphat animals, in which it was not always harmonious in the past, it was often difficult.
Today you direct your consultant agency CN Sports. If Wikipedia she titled as a player’s promoter, that’s correct or should be distinguished in the job title between consultants and player agents?
**** Of course transfers play a central role. But you have to differentiate. Louis van Gaal was the first coach in my time as a sports director. He sometimes comes over very hard, but he always said, “Christian, for me a player is not someone who plays the ball from A to B. For me, the personality counts, the family. I have to understand who is sitting in front of me ” So I also interpret my job. I do not bring a player from A to B, that would be too mechanical for me. Players are not robots, they are very individual personalities.
My agency will never define itself about the quantity of the players.
Christian Nerlinger
- So individuality before quantity? **
**** My agency will never define itself about the quantity of the players. I have only one employee with Fabian Dingler and I always take responsibility. Nothing will be eliminated. I prefer to show a perspective, a way and a plan much, directly and personally every single player. If you write a success story together, I’m happy.
Consequently, are you a service provider?
**** Yes, a supporter of the player who has been at home in various functions in professional football for over thirty years. Sometimes I am also a coach. I try to make optimal decisions together with the important sporting, strategic and economic topics with the players and their closest environment and to unconditional support them in difficult phases.
I do not believe that 16-year-old can really handle all that, which can be wrapped on them on them.
Christian Nerlinger
What are the first important, strategic decisions?
**** The path from the junior in professional football. Sometimes pressure arises, hustle and bustle, many want too fast too much. Everything should be based on a healthy foundation, you do not have to play with 16 years ago 80,000 spectators and sign a ten-year contract with a sporting goods manufacturer. That’s what I think is very dangerous and questionable. For I do not believe that 16-year-old can really process all that, which can not really work on them on them – neither physically nor psychic. This responsibility must be aware of everyone involved. Bastian Schweinsteiger, for example, signed his top contract at Bavaria at 26 years, Robert Lewandowski has come to Bavaria with 26 only.
What are the craziest clauses?
**** I do not think so, that should make others (grin).
How do you rate the constellation if in a club coach and one or the other player have the same consultant?
**** In my initial phase, I also advised coaches, but I have now distanced myself. There are companies that take care of coaches, sports directors, physiotherapists, that’s okay. I only pulled a very clear line for me. My topic are the players. Everything else costs too much strength to offer no attack surface.
How would you hand over as a sports director?
**** I know the negotiations with Van Gaal and Jupp Heynckes. These were personalities who did not need a consultant to give them a lawyer for legal, contractual affairs. If trainers and players have the same consultant and operate in the same club, these can complicate things quickly.
Van Gaal has developed players and values.
Christian Nerlinger
Was Van Gaal the right coach at the right time for FC Bayern?
**** We met in an apartment in Amsterdam. Karl Hopfner, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Uli Hoeneß, me and van Gaal with orange tie. In the evening before he had become Master with AZ Alkmaar. He clarified very directly: that’s how I am, so I work. We knew on the home flight: with him a lot of the Säben Straße will change. Even if we have discussed a lot, we all came to conviction that he would be the right man at the right time. He then has an unbalanced squad, a team that had to lose, stabilized in Barcelona in 2009 in the Champions League 0: 4 actually 0:10 in Barcelona.
How?
**** He has created footballery and personnel technically a basis. Philipp Lahm was his captain, Bastian Schweinsteiger his right hand, David Alaba regular, Holger Badstuber also, and Thomas Müller was his discovery. He has also granted the young professionals weakness phases, no matter how big the pressure may have been. Van Gaal has developed players and values, the bosses have also made very smart decisions in the following years and rebuilt FC Bayern to a constant favorite to the Champions League.
It came a phase in which I had lost all joy and fun. The analysis after the lost final against Chelsea was very emotional.
Christian Nerlinger
They were in 2010 with Van Gaal in the King class final and 2012 with Heynckes in the final Dahoam. Then they left FC Bayern. How was her farewell?
**** First of all it was incredible for me to be included in this Bayern world – so to speak in the epicenter. With Uli Hoeneß, Franz Beckenbauer, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. But then a phase in which I had lost all joy and fun. The analysis after the lost final against Chelsea was very emotional. Hoeneß, Hopfner, Rummenigge and I have worked up long, even loud. Immediately thereafter, in a four-eyes talking with Uli Hoeneß, we finished the topic and cooperation. I think it was the right decision.
Hang a bit?
**** We met again a few weeks later, had a sympathetic conversation. He has granted that the constellation I found in was incredibly difficult and complex. Of course, someone has never been negatively or critically expressed from us anyway. The processing of all this took time, of course, the time I took me too. When I think back, I think of irretrievable moments, at moments of pure luck and gratitude, but also on moments, where I say: they have properly enclosed (grinning). Ultimately, however, we have gone to friendly.
For Lewandowski, I would ride the red carpet for many years. He is just mad.
Christian Nerlinger
Now the leadership was completely rebuilt. Herbert Hainer is President, Hasan Salihamidzic Sports Management Board, Oliver Kahn CEO CEO. How do you rate this change?
**** For me, Oliver Kahn is the absolutely right and predestined CEO. But to think he fulfills his office as well as that previously practiced – that’s impossible. He goes on the things differently, pursues his own way. I would look forward to Olli, if he also shapes a very successful era as a CEO. Brazzo had to prevail against a lot of public headwind – before that I have great respect.
For the two bosses are now important contract negotiations, including with FIFA World Footballer Robert Lewandowski.
**** For me it is a UNING to compare Erling Haaland with Lewandowski. Lewandowski stands every game on the square. Haaland is an incredibly talented player, I’m not a reproach, I was often hurt himself, but he lacks too often. So what price is you ready to pay for a player who possibly fails in the decisive weeks a year? For Lewandowski, however, I would extend many years the red carpet. He is just mad.
The pole is an absolute pattern prior. You have committed Arjen Robben at that time. Also showpoint professionals, but like Haaland Currently the Dutch was also a lot injured.
**** We have committed seals on the 31st of August, at 23 o’clock. That was a change of vision. Van Gaal wanted to continue 4-4-2 with rhombus. Franck Ribery could not make friends in this rhombus with the ten at all. He wanted to play left. But we needed an equal counterpart on the right. That’s why we got seals, a, as they say, model preach. How he dealt with his setbacks was sensational. In his stubborn pubic inflammation, he was only allowed to work on the hand crank. And he brought her to glow. That even went so far that the players have organized a championship among each other: Who beats Arjen at the hand crank? He was an outstanding professional with an incredible ambition. Why Van Gaal said that every 100 percent would have to give, just robben, there are 70.
To Van Gaal Kamen Heynckes, Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, again Heynckes, Niko Kovac, Hansi Flick and now Julian Nagelsmann. Is he the right trainer at the right time?
**** I am 100 percent convinced. I know Julian Nagelsmann through touch points of my players in Hoffenheim and Leipzig. He brings a lot. For me, he will soon be on a level with Hansi Flick, Jürgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel. Even if he has not collected any titles, and those will come from Bavaria, he has held in a hard relegation battle for the TSG Hoffenheim in the league in the league in the liga, in the two follow-up years, and forth in the two follow-up years The Champions League qualifies. At Leipzig, Ralf Rangnick’s heritage was not easier. He was twice in the cup final, also in the semi-final of the royal class. He is also at Bayern on course. Nevertheless, it will be another challenge in Munich – because the annual certificate sometimes depends on a few games in the spring.
Interview: Georg Holzner