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Thomas Tuchel, Bayern Munich to part ways after the season

February 21, 2024

Bayern Munich have announced they will parting ways with head coach Thomas Tuchel in the summer. The reigning Bundesliga champions are facing up to their first year without silverware since 2012.

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Thomas Tuchel
News of Tuchel's departure comes on the back of Bayern losing three straight games for the first time since 2015Image: David Inderlied/dpa/picture alliance

Bayern Munich announced on Wednesday that they will part ways with head coach Thomas Tuchel after the season.

Tuchel, 50, took charge of Bayern, Germany's biggest and most successful football club, less than a year ago, and his contract was due to run until 2025. However, with the club eight points adrift in the Bundesliga title race, out of the German Cup and at risk in the Champions League, Bayern have reacted to the prospect of their first trophyless season since the 2011-12 campaign.

 

"In a good, open discussion, we came to the decision to end our working relationship by mutual agreement in the summer," said club CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen in an official statement on the club's website. 

"Our goal is to pursue a new footballing direction with a new head coach for the 2024-25 season. Until then, every individual at the club is expressly called upon to achieve the maximum possible in the Champions League and Bundesliga."

Bayern Munich's poor season

News broke on Wednesday morning that Tuchel's fate had been sealed before the club reacted with an official statement of their own. The preemptive dismissal comes after Bayern suffered three straight losses for the first time since 2015 in an already sub-standard season — within the space of nine days no less. Questions were subsequently asked of Tuchel's progress since taking charge from Julian Nagelsmann back in late March 2023.

Thomas Tuchel
Pressure had been growing on Tuchel after losses to Bundesliga leaders Leverkusen, Lazio and BochumImage: Peter Schatz/picture alliance

Tuchel won the Bundesliga title with Bayern last season, but this term they have been outdone by league leaders Leverkusen, were ousted in the German Cup by third division Saarbrücken, and need to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Lazio on March 5 to reach the quarterfinals in the Champions League.

Tuchel has promised to "continue to do everything I can with my coaching staff to achieve maximum success" while the club seeks a long-term solution to address the steady decline of recent years.

Who will Bayern Munich appoint after the season?

There have been numerous rumors about Tuchel's successor. The prospective list includes Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso, former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the return of treble-winning coach Hansi Flick.

Xabi Alonso and Thomas Tuchel
Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso is the hottest commodity on world football's head coaching market right nowImage: Frank Hoermann/SVEN SIMON/Revierfoto/dpa/picture alliance

Just like former Bayern president Uli Hoeness' nephew Sebastian, who is currently leading Stuttgart to unimagined heights, the man masterminding Leverkusen's Bundesliga title charge wouldn't be available until next season at the earliest.

jt/dav (dpa, AFP, sid)