Julian Nagelsmann has revealed that he turned down the decision to become Real Madrid manager as he didn't feel it was the "right step" to make.
The 33-year-old German manager previously managed Hoffenheim for three years before leaving for current club RB Leipzig in 2019.
However, Nagelsmann has claimed that Los Blancos were eying up the possibility of bringing him to the Santiago Bernabeu.
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The former Hoffenheim coach admitted that the decision to turn down Madrid's advances came completely down to him.
Nagelsmann told reporters ahead of his side's Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid: "We had phone calls, but in the end, the one who decided was me.
"I believed it was not the right step to go to Real Madrid.
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"I was one of the candidates and the list was not very long. For me, that was important.
"I had a good chat with Jose Angel Sanchez and we decided that it was not the right step at that time. We agreed that we could talk again in the future if Real Madrid needed a coach -- and I was available."
Leipzig clash with Atletico in the quarter-finals on Thursday in Lisbon as the Champions League resumes this month after the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Nagelsmann, who has previously opened up about turning Los Blancos down, is not overlooking Atletico's defensive strength in their upcoming clash.
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"My first thought was: 'Oh, they're a strong team defensively,'" he said after seeing the draw.
"We will have to have a very solid block and be efficient in the final third to create danger. We'll need to be creative and have control.
"Atletico are a heavyweight of European football, especially in recent years. Diego Simeone has done a great job with a lot of victories."
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