Augsburg: Sandro Wagner Reflects on Stormy Bundesliga Stint
Former coach Sandro Wagner discusses his turbulent tenure at FC Augsburg in the Bundesliga. Discover the lessons he learned and why he's now avoiding the limelight.
Sandro Wagner, former head coach of FC Augsburg, has spoken in an interview with Germany’s Süddeutsche Zeitung about his brief and turbulent tenure in the Bundesliga. The 38-year-old openly reflects on the challenges of his time at FCA and the personal development steps he has taken since then.
Wagner admitted that taking a German top-flight job just four years after attaining his coaching license might have been a bit premature. The experience at FC Augsburg confirmed that he still had a lot to learn, a realization he now considers a valuable lesson.
The former DFB assistant to Julian Nagelsmann is currently in no hurry to coach again. Wagner simply enjoys watching football and remaining out of the limelight. He sought to emphasize that, contrary to what one might expect from his seemingly extrovert personality and free-flowing speech, he actually enjoys the peace and quiet associated with his newly changed phone number.
“I can be polarizing at times and a lesson I learned at Augsburg is that I shouldn’t necessarily reinforce that image,” Wagner said. He conceded that there were times in which he let himself get carried away with his words or when he made a statement that left out half a sentence. Sometimes he was still emotional and let himself be drawn in by provocative questions.
“I learned some huge lessons,” Wagner continued. “Vincent Kompany, the head coach of FC Bayern Munich, is actually a great role model in that regard. Hardly anyone masters the art of evading attacks as well as he does.” These insights shape Wagner's current attitude and his desire for a quieter role away from the direct coaching bench.