Julian Nagelsmann set off alarms during the Benfica-Bayern preview after confirming that he will not be able to sit on the bench at Estádio da Luz. As reported by the Eleven media a few hours after the start of the clash in Lisbon, the Bundesliga champion’s coach would have felt ill throughout the day and the Munich medical department has advised him to rest.
Minutes before the start of the match, Bayern reported that the coach was suffering from a “flu process” and would not be available to direct the team tonight. As confirmed by the German media TZ, Dino Toppmöller, second to Nagelsmann, will be in charge of directing Bayern tonight in which it will be his third game so far in the Champions League against Jorge Jesus’ men.
It is not the first time that a Bayern coach has been absent for health reasons. In 2018, the then Munich coach Jupp Heynckes could not sit on the Bavarian bench in the Bundesliga against Schalke 04 due to a flu. His own ended up beating the miners’ team 2-1, with Jupp following the game, as did Nagelsmann today, from bed.