Manuel Baum returns to Augsburg: New role in junior football!

Manuel Baum returns to Augsburg: New role in junior football!

football fans in Germany and especially in Bavaria can look forward to exciting developments in the coaching carousel. Manuel Baum, the former coach of Schalke 04, moves back to his former employer, FC Augsburg, to take over the management of the youth performance center (NLZ). Baum had taken over the Schalke team in a difficult phase in the 2020/2021 season, but was only eleven times on the sidelines, where he reached a point cut of 0.64. This made him one of the most unsuccessful coaches in the history of the club, since he only achieved one victory in eleven games and ultimately contributed to the descent of the Schalke into the 2nd Bundesliga, how derwesten.de reported.

After his time at Schalke, Manuel Baum returned to young football and took over the management of the youth department of RB Leipzig. He will give up this position on June 30, 2025, a decision he made for "private reasons". In an official message, Marcel Schäfer, Managing Director of RB Leipzig, thanked Baum for his commitment and respected his decision to separate.

a step backwards or a step obtained?

a completely different access than in the professional area now wants to pursue Baum in Augsburg. He was head coach of the professional team from 2016 to 2019 and had his most successful time at FC Augsburg when he took the team to 13th place in the Bundesliga. In the following season he reached a solid 12th place before the success was decreased, which led to his discharge.

The main task that Baum will meet in Augsburg will affect the decisive transition from youth players to the professional team. This is where his experience comes into play in the youth area. The development of talents is a complex undertaking that is influenced by physical, psychological and social factors. The latter are often crucial for whether a young player can fully exploit his talent. An analysis shows that only 3.5% of the former U19 players make it into professional squad, which illustrates the challenge that lies in front of Baum. As a trainer, he plays a central role here, since the relationship between the coach and player and parental support are crucial for sporting career. This also emphasizes Dr. René Paasch in his investigation into talent development in junior football on [die-sportpsychologists.de] (https://www.die-sportpsychologists.de/2019/07/dr-rene-paasch-talentpfl.

A look into the future

In order to optimally promote the next generation of footballers, it is important that the coaches not only have the sporting skills, but also the social predictors of the talents. Factors such as discipline, dealing with criticism and failure as well as the family environment are decisive for the development of young players. Baum will have all hands full to prepare the players optimally for their future challenges in the Bundesliga.

With a returnee like Manuel Baum, Augsburg has the chance to strengthen his own offspring as a key resource and to lay the basis for a successful future. All the more fans can be excited about the exciting changes in the NLZ of FC Augsburg!