Bayern, the crusher under suspicion

The Bayern that will face Villarreal at La Cerámica on April 6, in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, does not advance like the shredder that devastated so many great teams during the last two seasons.

He is barely four points ahead of a Dortmund that is also not the competitive roller of its best times and rumors of dissonance come from Munich.

The succession of Karl-Heinz Rummenigge to Oliver Kahn in the management of the club has not been welcomed by the dressing room, and Julian Nagelsmann has not found it so easy to pick up the baton from the perceptive Hansi Flick at the helm of the bench.

While Flick stood out for his left hand, which was fundamental in encouraging the veterans to join the cause of constant pressure and advanced defense, Nagelsmann's speech did not find the right tune.

Unquestionable for his skills as a tactician, the Bavarian coach, only 34 years old, entered the locker room with revolutionary intentions, according to witnesses.

During his first weeks in office, last summer and fall, it was clear creative intent that moved the players.

He gave the impression of trying to win the games from the board.

He felt like a protagonist and when the players did not respond in games, from the technical area his displeasure was evident.

Outside the gates, veterans like Kimmich, Müller and Lewandowski,

they celebrated the appearance of a meticulous coach and football fan.

Behind closed doors, they insinuated that he thought he was too important.

After all, he was the same age as them and hadn't won anything.

Nagelsmann tries to find the key.

Warned by the club, he now listens more to veterans.

But the draws against Bayer Leverkusen (1-1) and Hoffenheim (1-1) reveal problems of interpretation and attitude.

The kind of evidence that footballers put on the field when they feel dissatisfied.

This for Bayern, who did not win the

in 2020 because of their technical virtuosity but thanks to their collective capacity for sacrifice, means going down a few steps.

If in its best days the team competed raising the sense of generosity and order to torment their opponents based on early pressure and wild unchecking, now those principles seem to fade.

This Bayern remains a fearsome team on the Champions League stage, even more so against rivals that circulate the ball at a slow pace, such as Villarreal.

But he is no longer so relentless in transitions because he incurs episodes of deconcentration, efforts lose continuity, and players who are not active appear in the areas surrounding the ball.

The spirit of the indolent Sané and Gnabry has at times taken over the general Stakhanovite feeling that Kimmich, Müller or Lewandowski once transmitted.

Precisely Lewandowski, who continues to score goals, has leaked in recent weeks that he is impatiently awaiting a renewal offer that does not come.

Kahn gives him long and threatens to alter the feeling of connection that until recently united the staff with the institution.

The signing of Süle by Borussia Dortmund, revealed this month, has not contributed to reassure the footballers either.

Sülle is one of the most beloved players in the locker room.

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