BERLIN: Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Friday he had been subjected to online death threats after his team’s surprise Champions League exit to Villarreal this week.

“I know I will always get criticism from all sides, that’s normal and I can deal with it. But with 450 death threats on Instagram, it’s not so easy,” said Nagelsmann ahead of Bayern’s Bundesliga trip to Arminia Bielefeld on Sunday.

“If people want to kill me that’s one thing, but they also attack my own mother, who doesn’t even care about football,” he added.

“I don’t understand it. As soon as they turn off the TV, people forget all decency. And they think they are the ones in the right, that’s the crazy thing.” Asked whether he had considered taking legal action, Nagelsmann suggested there were simply too many threats for that to be realistic.

“I would never be done with it. I get them after every single game, regardless of whether we win or lose,” he said.

“There are more death threats when we play with a back three than when we play with a back four, and obviously a few more whenever we lose.” Nagelsmann is the second Bayern employee who has been faced with death threats this week.

The wife and son of sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic also revealed on Wednesday and Thursday that they had been subjected to threats in the wake of the Villarreal defeat, posting screenshots of private messages sent on Instagram.

On Friday, Nagelsmann said he did not expect Bayern to increase security measures.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2022