Ahead of Gladbach opener, Bayern Munich’s Julian Nagelsmann is optimistic

Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann has not had an easy preseason.

Many of his key players got off to a late start due to international duty and quite a few of his charges have already been bitten by the injury bug. Still, the new coach is thrilled to really get started with the season.

“It’s always exciting when the season gets back underway. Our preseason was a bit different. It’s a mix of excitement and anticipation,” said Nagelsmann as captured by the club’s Twitter account. “Gladbach have a strong and ambitious squad. They are a tough opponent to open the season against. Every team has that extra motivation when facing Bayern. Everyone wants to prevent us from winning our tenth straight title.”

Nagelsmann also touched on the recent injury to Benjamin Pavard, who the coach said was impressive before succumbing to a ligament injury in his left ankle.

“It’s very frustrating. He made a good impression and was going to be part of the squad. He’s a very versatile player. Now, he’s set for a few weeks on the sidelines. But, we have several players that can replace him,” Nagelsmann said.

Nagelsmann also touched on his own personal feelings about being at the helm of the club that has been described as his “dream job.”

“Very good,” Nagelsmann said of how things are going for him (as captured by Tz). “In terms of results, the preparation did not go as I had imagined. Otherwise the training went well. We have confidence. The players were on vacation for a while, it takes time. But that’s normal. We don’t yet know one hundred percent where we are.”