Bayern Munich Name Nagelsmann As New Coach

Julian Nagelsmann will take over as Bayern Munich coach from next season to replace Hansi Flick, the reigning German champions announced on Tuesday.

Nagelsmann, who is just 33, will move from RB Leipzig on a five-year contract after Flick, whose relationship with the club's powerful sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has deteriorated over transfer policy, asked to be released from his contract.

"I am convinced that Bayern's sporting future will be a very successful one with Julian Nagelsmann," Oliver Kahn, the club's former goalkeeper who will succeed Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as Bayern chairman next year, told the club's website.

Nagelsmann has never hidden his desire to coach Bayern, especially as he comes from the Bavaria region.

Last season, he led Leipzig to the semi-finals of the Champions League as well as third place in the Bundesliga, and this season his side has replaced Borussia Dortmund as Bayern's main title challengers.

With three games of the season remaining, Leipzig are the only team who can still prevent Bayern from winning a ninth consecutive Bundesliga title, although they sit seven points off the pace.

Bayern will get another chance to wrap up the title for a record-extending 30th time in the Bundesliga era when they host Borussia Moenchengladbach next weekend.

Flick took over as Bayern coach in late 2019, succeeding the sacked Niko Kovac.

He won the Bundesliga and German Cup last season and added the Champions League, as Bayern beat Paris Saint-Germain behind closed doors in the final in Lisbon to become European champions for the sixth time.

Bayern added the Uefa and German Super Cups at the start of this campaign and then won the Club World Cup in Qatar at the start of this year. (AFP)