Berlin, March 24 (IANS) The reported dismissal of Julian Nagelsmann as coach of Bayern Munich might have come as a surprise on Friday.
Former Chelsea and Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel will be the successor, and an official confirmation is expected to come after Tuchel’s signing later. The timing though gives proof of the club’s unrest and impatience when it comes to in-house difficulties.
To win titles has been an obsession-like must over decades for the Bavarians with the successful leaders Uli Hoeness and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in charge.
The duo’s success might have increased the pressure on their followers, chairman Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, a Xinhua report said.
Despite having beaten French giant Paris St German in the last 16 of the Champions League, the loss of the national league lead triggered serious concerns over a title-less disaster in the 2022/23 season.
Two years ago, Nagelsmann was seen as the rising coaching star. Bayern paid 25 million euros to RB Leipzig to get him.
Now Nagelsmann is said to have lost the locker room on his way through a bumpy first season last year and the uncontrollable unsteadiness this year.
In 2018, Tuchel signed with Paris followed by his signature with Chelsea two years later. This time Tottenham turned up at the doorstep.
With the Blues, Tuchel proved he can win big international titles. The triumphant 2021 Champions League victory told the story.
While Nagelsmann went on a private ski tour to Austria this Wednesday, Bayern worked what turned into breaking news this Friday.
As a curious fact, Tuchel will be sitting on Bayern’s bench on April 1 to recapture the league’s top spot against Dortmund before facing former Bayern coach Pep Guardiola and the Citizens in the Champions League.
With Nagelsmann, Bayern had gambled away a 10-point lead in the league. Bayern’s leaders missed the demanded progress with one of football’s best-equipped squads while the coach delivered the poorest league season in 11 years.
The young and to some extent inexperienced Nagelsmann smashed under the weight that comes with a club like Bayern. The bad news is said to have reached the coach late Thursday night and the players heard about it a day later.
Now it’s on Tuchel to turn things for the better. The new arrival must quickly gain the trust of the squad and deliver results. The titles are at stake, the league, the German Cup, and the Champions League.
–IANS
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