Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel on his ‘crazy’ attitude in training last season

The youngster’s learning curve at Bayern has been admirable but there have been hiccups…

Bayern Munich youngster Mathys Tel admitted to having a rather poor habit in training that needed correcting when he first arrived. Speaking to French newspaper L’Équipe, as captured by @iMiaSanMia, Tel was asked about how previous head coach Julian Nagelsmann had criticized Tel publicly last season.

Tel said: “I was a bit crazy in training. I used to tell myself: ‘Today I’ll do what I want, I’ll take the ball and do everything by myself.’” However, Julian Nagelsmann and the rest of his teammates quickly addressed this. Although this sort of attitude is understandable in someone who is trying to prove themselves, it is not something that will help Tel grow. “My teammates shouted at me,” the 18-year-old sheepishly admitted.

However, the former Rennes center-back was also humble enough to realize he was wrong. “I quickly realized that I was doing something crazy,” he added, laughing. Now the talented striker is flourishing in the team, consistently providing a big impact off the bench and most recently grabbing a goal against Manchester United in the Champions League. It goes to show what a cool head and a willingness to listen can do for someone who has a lot to learn.