Who is Julian Nagelsmann? Who is his girlfriend - could he become Spurs manager

Julian Nagelsmann had barely been removed from his position as Bayern Munich manager before being installed as the favourite for the Spurs job.

He is the new front-runner to succeed Antonio Conte as the next permanent manager of Tottenham Hotspur according to the bookmakers at SkyBet. The Italian remains in charge at the North London side but the club have already started their search for a new manager according to reports.

It has appeared increasingly unlikely that he will sign a new contract with the club when his current deal expires this summer for a number of weeks but his future could be cut short much sooner. Conte’s outburst in his press conference following the 3-3 draw with Southampton sparked reports that he could be sacked imminently.

Nagelsmann has spent the entirety of his managerial career in the Bundesliga and he has been labelled by pundits as one of the best young managers in world football.

But who is Julian Nagelsmann and is he likely to become the new manager of Tottenham Hotspur?

Here is everything you need to know.

Who is Julian Nagelsmann?

Julian Nagelsmann is a German football manager who was born on 23 July 1987.

Nagelsmann was a professional football player who played at academy level for FC Augsburg and 1860 Munich as a youngster.

Nagelsmann briefly played under former Chelsea boss and new Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel but he never made a first team appearance in the Bundesliga. Nagelsmann was forced to retire at the age of 20 due to injuries but he briefly worked as a scout for Tuchel’s team in 2008.

He later joined 1899 Hoffenheim where coached various youth teams and also worked as assistant manager. Goalkeeper Tim Weise referred to the young coach at the time as “mini Mourinho.”

Managerial career

Julian Nagelsmann was only 28 years old when Hoffenheim made him the youngest manager in Bundesliga history in 2016.

During his three year stint with Hoffenheim he guided the club from a relegation battle to the Champions League places - becoming the youngest ever manager in the history of Europe’s elite competition at 31 years of age.

Nagelsmann joined RB Leipzig in 2019 and continued to build on his reputation as a rising star in football management.

In his first season he guided RB Leipzig through to the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first ever time and impressively reached the semi-final of the tournament with victories over Tottenham and Atletico Madrid.

Nagelsmann recorded top four finishes in both of his two seasons with Leipzig and he left the role to replace Hansi Flick as Bayern Munich manager.

Nagelsmann successfully steered Bayern Munich to a league title in his first year with the club and he also lifted the DFL Supercup with a victory over Borussia Dortmund.

The German was sacked mid-way through his second season with the club. He left Bayern Munich second in the table just one point behind league leaders Borussia Dortmund whilst also reaching the quarter-final of the Champions League.

Who is his girlfriend?

Julian Nagelsmann is also said to have recently split from his girlfriend, German journalist Lena Wurzenberger.

Wurzenberger is a reporter for Germany’s biggest newspaper BILD and she started dating the former Bayern Munich manager in 2022.

Their relationship is believed to have started shortly after Nagelsmann’s split from his wife Verena - who he had two children with after a 15 year relationship, according to the Daily Mail.

Wurzenberger was responsible for reporting on Bayern Munich but she was taken off coverage for the club after the nature of their relationship became public knowledge.

The journalist currently works as a police reporter in Munich.

Could Julian Nagelsmann become manager of Tottenham?

Julian Nagelsmann was sacked from Bayern Munich on Friday 24 March and he now finds himself as the frontrunner for the Tottenham Hotspur job according to SkyBet.

Tottenham are still currently managed by Antonio Conte but it appears increasingly likely that they will change manager in the coming weeks amid concerns that many of the players are no longer behind the Italian head coach.

Conte is the bookmakers’ favourite to be the next manager to leave his position in the Premier League and SkyBet have placed the odds at 1/50.

What is Julian Nagelsmann’s playing style

Julian Nagelsmann has been heavily influenced by the pressing philosophy of Ralf Ragnick who was behind recruiting him for RB Leipzig in 2019.

Nagelsmann’s teams often operated with a 4231 formation during his time with Bayern Munich although he preferred a 3412 formation with wing backs during his time at RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim.

Coaches voice explains that Nagelsmann’s teams like to play with a high press which heavily emphasises defending from the front in an effort to force mistakes from the opposition and to also stop teams from playing it out from the back.