Nenad Bjelica is on everyone’s lips after Union’s away defeat at FC Bayern. Not because of his team’s performance, but because he couldn’t control his emotions. After all, his showed team some good approaches. By Till Oppermann
As the 1. FC Union in November Nenad Bjelica Lothar Matthäus was skeptical when he introduced him as the new coach. The Croatian is in the Bundesliga Nobody, he said at the time. That finally changed after the memorable catch-up game in Munich. Who Bjelica everyone in German football now knows. Unfortunately, not for the reasons that Union would have wanted. On the sidelines of a heated game against the record champions, the coach lost his nerve and grabbed Bayern’s Leroy Sané in the face twice.
Referee Frank Willenborg showed the hothead a red card for this violence. The Bayern stewards had to take the angry coach to his new place in the press box. “What I did cannot be tolerated”said Bjelica after the game, when he had cooled down a bit. Four days before the important duel against Darmstadt 98, the coach is facing a long punishment. The DFB sports court is unlikely to show any leniency after this outbreak.
Union Berlin narrowly loses the catch-up game against Bayern Munich – but deservedly so
Union Berlin narrowly but deservedly lost the catch-up game at FC Bayern Munich 0-1. During the away defeat, Union coach Nenad Bjelica was shown a red card after an attack on Munich’s Leroy Sané.more
Bjelica felt provoked
Especially since the 52-year-old wanted to apologize to his team, but not to Sané. “He comes into the coaching zone and I felt provoked,” said Bjelica, who described the scene at the press conference after the game as follows: “I was in my area, wanted to get the ball and he wanted to play quickly. ” Then Sané pushed him and he then reacted, “like I shouldn’t react with my hand on his face. And that’s why the red card is okay.” Captain Christopher Trimmel added: “That’s part of football, I don’t know whether you have to give a straight red.”
Most people think you have to. And Bjelica’s lack of remorse towards Sané is likely to have an impact on the sentence. Even Bjelica’s future as a Bundesliga coach was discussed on social networks and in the specialist press [kicker.de] already discussed. Ultimately, he did not fulfill his role model function and damaged the employer in the midst of a relegation battle. Many criticized that this would never have happened to Urs Fischer.
Union would still be well advised to ignore these voices and stick to a fine. The fact that Bjelica is so different from his predecessor was one of the reasons why the club wanted him. His emotionality was supposed to bring new impulses to a team that was sliding tiredly towards relegation after five years under the same coach. He definitely succeeded.
Union can keep games open again
Things weren’t just physical on the sidelines on Wednesday. On the field, too, the Berliners were once again the team that had been the most unpleasant for opponents in the league until this season. Union’s physical play annoyed Bayern. Even world star Harry Kane got carried away into a scuffle with Union’s Vogt and was shown a yellow card. The Iron team ran a total of 127.2 kilometers and demanded everything from Munich.
Again and again they rushed into duels and when in doubt, Frederik Rönnow helped with his saves. It was also thanks to him that the game only ended 0-1 with ten shots on goal. Zero goals and just one point from the first two games in the new year sounds like a poor return, but in Union’s situation they are worth a lot. Because the team is once again able to keep football games open until the end.
The 0-1 that Union conceded immediately after the restart would have ended the game in the fall. After eight weeks under Nenad Bjelica, the Berliners improved their performance. Now his team played more calmly after winning the ball and waited for good vertical passing options. Assistant coach Marie-Louise Eta praised: “There were one or two situations in which we played well.” With a bit more luck there could have been a goal, said Eta.
Positive insights
Another positive finding: With Andras Schäfer, the best newcomer of the winter could be someone who has been playing for Union for two years. After his long-term foot injury, he is brought into the starting eleven with substitutions and shows that he can make the difference for Union. With and without the ball, he has the best sense of space of all the players in the squad. The best Union chance by Kevin Behrens and Jerome Roussillon in the 72nd minute came when Schäfer won the ball in his own half and cleverly used his partner Lucas Tousart. The Hungarian is able to change games in Union’s favor.
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That was also a system change against Munich. Kevin Vogt was moved from the five-man defense to the six-man position in the second half. From now on, Union played with a back four and was a bit more offensive. This helped to win the ball further up the field and shortened the route to the goal. Nenad Bjelica must certainly be criticized for the fact that his team still lacks clear running routes and passing sequences in the 5-3-2 system to bridge the field. With the option to play with four defenders and thus strengthen the midfield and wings, he has clearly expanded Union’s options.
Duration of the ban unclear
Bjelica said at the press conference after the game that he did not yet know how long he would be suspended. It is crystal clear that he will remain a major topic of discussion in the Bundesliga for at least the duration of this ban. His team’s approaches suggest that he could also receive attention for his sporting achievements in the future. Until then, there are many good yoga teachers in Berlin. This is supposed to help with relaxation.
Broadcast: rbb24 Inforadio, January 25, 2024, 6:20 a.m
