With reference to the separation of Bundesliga soccer club 1. FC Union Berlin from long-time successful coach Urs Fischer, Baumgart said in an interview with the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung”: “When Didi Hamann said two weeks ago that it was irresponsible of Union Berlin to blame this coach I think that’s an absolute impudence. Why is he allowed to make such a judgment?” Baumgart said that even he himself didn’t dare to evaluate the separation, although he had “more insight into Union Berlin” than many people assume.

He can understand Tuchel’s anger at experts like Hamann or record national player Lothar Matthäus. “I have the feeling that some critics are on a one-way street. We have to accept that people who are really far away from our work are constantly pissing on us,” said Baumgart. “People who have their own problems but then stand up in public and say: We know what’s going on. With every protagonist, with every club.”

“We coaches are not the lightning rods of the nation”

Before and after Munich’s top Bundesliga game at Borussia Dortmund (4-0) on November 4th, Tuchel spoke with biting irony about Sky experts Matthäus and Hamann, who had previously criticized him. The Bayern coach broke off the interview after the game. “If an expert’s job is just to piss on everyone at every opportunity, then he shouldn’t be surprised if at some point someone says: Look out, you’re just not important enough to me,” said Baumgart.

He also asked for understanding for himself and his colleagues when they reacted thinly to criticism. “The difference is that the coach has a responsibility and the expert sits on a comfortable couch and the whole nation listens to him. But we coaches are not the nation’s lightning rods.” “Exactly the same thing as Thomas Tuchel could happen to him,” said the FC coach.