“He always kept it a secret”
Long-time Nagelsmann friend reveals Bayern secret
June 13, 2026 – 6:19 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
They have known each other since Julian Nagelsmann was a child. Nevertheless, a long-time companion only found out about his football love for Bayern late.
Julian Nagelsmann and Alexander Schmidt maintain a special relationship. The then professional Nagelsmann played under the current regional league coach from BSG Chemie Leipzig in the youth team of FC Augsburg before the duo moved together to TSV 1860 Munich, FC Bayern’s city rivals. The current national coach wore the “Lions” jersey for a total of seven years.
Despite years of collaboration, Schmidt became a mentor and supported Nagelsmann in his first steps as an assistant coach, the 57-year-old was denied one important piece of information: Nagelsmann is a fan of the German record champions. “I didn’t know that,” Schmidt now reveals in the t-online podcast “Julian Nagelsmann – The Youngest One”. “He always kept that a secret from me.”
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The German record champions signed Nagelsmann from RB Leipzig in 2021 as Hansi Flick’s successor – and suddenly a fan was sitting on the club’s bench. FC Bayern became a matter of the heart for Nagelsmann. “It feels good. I’m very happy to be coach of Bayern Munich,” said Nagelsmann when he was introduced in July almost five years ago.
As a kind of welcome gift, there was even bed linen from Bayern: “I think I’ll sleep in it for a night. It’s Oeko-Tex 100. So it’s not only beautiful, but also healthy,” he said at the time. Even as a child, Nagelsmann slept in Bavarian bed linen.
Hard for Schmidt to believe. “Really? He never said anything about being a Bayern fan. I heard that afterwards,” he now reveals. “Because it’s just like that, in Munich you’re either blue or red. And unfortunately I’m blue,” says Schmidt. Given his seven years of youth with the “Lions”, it could have been the same for Nagelsmann.