Izuchukwu OkosiThe Germany Football Federation have appointed former RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann as head coach of the national team on a contract until July 2024.
The 36-year-old succeeds Hansi Flick, who was sacked after a poor run of results, culminating in a 4-1 friendly defeat by Japan earlier this month.
Nagelsmann has been out of work since he was sacked by Bayern Munich in March after less than two years in charge and reached by Thomas Tuchel.
Germany are hosts of next summer’s European Championship finals, which run from 14 June to 14 July 2024.
“We have a European Championship in our own country. That’s something special – something that happens every few decades,” said Nagelsmann.
“I have a great desire to take on this challenge. We will be a close-knit group next year.”
Nagelsmann’s first match in charge will be a friendly against United States in Connecticut on 14 October before facing Mexico in Philadelphia three days later.
“Julian Nagelsmann was our preferred candidate as national coach when the search began,” said German Football Association sporting director Rudi Voller.
“He is not only an absolute football expert, but has already proven in all his positions – at a very young age for a head coach – that he can motivate and inspire a team and the entire environment.
“His fire for football is noticeable and contagious.”
Nagelsmann is recognised as one of the game’s most promising managerial talents, having taking charge of Hoffenheim aged 28 before moving to RB Leipzig, leading the club to the Champions League semi-finals.
Bayern paid 25m euros (£21.7m) to Leipzig in 2021 to free Nagelsmann from his contract and succeed Flick at the Allianz Arena on a five-year deal.
He won the league title in his first season alongside two German Supercups, but was sacked in March after a run of five wins from 10 league games.
The former defender held talks with Chelsea and Tottenham over their managerial vacancies during the summer, but both clubs ultimately looked elsewhere.
Flick became the first Germany boss to be sacked since the role was created in 1926 when he was dismissed earlier this month, overseeing just 12 wins in his 25 matches since replacing Joachim Low in August 2021.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was mentioned as a possible candidate in the German media in the aftermath of Flick’s departure, though he quickly reaffirmed his commitment to the Premier League side.
Voller, a former Germany striker who was part of the Italia ’90 World Cup winning side, took temporary charge for a 2-1 friendly win over France three days after Flick’s exit.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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