Bayern Munich’s Brazzo explains why he moved to the stands

It was in early August this year that Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidžić vacated his spot on the bench where he had been seated since 2017, paving way for technical director Marco Neppe to take up the same spot. Brazzo moved to the stands, where he watches the games next to CEO Oliver Kahn.

This decision was made with the belief that Neppe had forged an excellent relationship in the dressing room with the players, and that a move to the stands for Brazzo would provide an additional perspective for analysis.

In a recent interview with the club magazine “51”, the former Bosnian international stands by his point. “For an even broader analysis, you have a better view of the big picture,” he explained.

Brazzo has always been a highly involved and expressive figure on the bench, and continues to be the same even from the stands. His excitement and frustration alike are highly visible during the game. He spoke on this, saying that the way he follows games depends entirely how they pan out. “Basically, I’m very optimistic and relaxed, but when things get tough or we don’t play well, tension builds. Then it’s hard to keep me in my seat,” he elaborated. He further went on to say that in the stands, he attempts to not be too expressive, which has been an unusual experience, albeit a good one.

During his move, the Bayern sporting director was adamant that it wouldn’t distance him from the team and he reiterates that in the interview, “I haven’t lost my closeness to the team as a result. That’s the crucial thing for me.”

It however remains to be seen how Brazzo’s additional perspective helps the team, since there have not been many drastic improvements in Bayern’s game so far. One can only hope any form of tactical improvement comes in on account of this move as soon as possible so Bayern can look more sharp against quality teams.