Bundesliga winners decide to break ways with German coach in the summer after catastrophic 2023-24 season, with Xabi Alonso and Jurgen Klopp in the frame to replace him.
Bayern Munich has confirmed its decision to part ways with head coach Thomas Tuchel at the end of the season.
Bayern and Tuchel have agreed to part ways in the summer following crisis discussions. The Bundesliga winners will now begin working behind the scenes to find a new head coach, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso and Liverpool legend Jurgen Klopp among those already connected with the position.
Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen confirmed Tuchel’s departure in an official statement on Wednesday, saying: “In an open, good talk, we decided to mutually stop our relationship in the summer. Our goal is to realign sports with a new coach for the 2024/25 season. Until then, every member of the club is expressly challenged to produce the best results possible in the Champions League and Bundesliga. I also clearly hold the team accountable. Especially in the Champions League, we are confident that after a 0-1 loss in the first leg against Lazio Rome, we will proceed to the quarter-finals in the second leg in our fully occupied Allianz Arena with our fans behind us.”
Tuchel said on the decision: “We have agreed to stop our collaboration after this season. Until then, I and my coaching team will do everything possible to assure maximum success.”
Neuausrichtung zur neuen Saison: FC Bayern und Thomas Tuchel beenden Zusammenarbeit im Sommer.
— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) February 21, 2024
Tuchel was first appointed as Julian Nagelsmann’s replacement at Bayern in March 2023, and he led the team to its 11th consecutive Bundesliga title in his first few months in charge. However, the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager has struggled to find the right balance in the squad, and performances have deteriorated this season, with Bayern trailing Leverkusen by eight points after 22 games.
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Bayern also departed the DFB-Pokal in the second round and will face a difficult road to the Champions League quarterfinals after losing the first leg of their round of 16 tie against Lazio. That result was sandwiched between costly Bundesliga defeats against Leverkusen and Bochum, and the board has concluded that a change is required in the summer, with Tuchel’s contract due to be terminated one year early.
Going forward
Bayern have depended largely on summer signing Harry Kane’s scoring output this season, with the former Tottenham star already up to 29 goals in just 30 appearances, but the club has been missing quality across the board and no longer appears to be one of Europe’s elite sides. Tuchel will still have the opportunity to leave on a good note, with two must-win Bundesliga games against RB Leipzig and Freiburg coming up before Bayern attempt to complete a second leg comeback in the Champions League against Lazio at Allianz Arena on March 5.