Following crisis talks, Thomas Tuchel and Bayern decided to part ways in the summer. The Bundesliga champions 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 being linked with the post.
Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen announced Tuchel’s exit in an official statement on Wednesday. The statement reads, “In an open, good conversation we came to the decision to mutually end our collaboration in the summer. Our goal is to carry out a sporting realignment with a new coach for the 2024/25 season. Until then, every individual in the club is expressly challenged to achieve the maximum possible in the Champions League and the Bundesliga. I also explicitly hold the team responsible. Especially in the Champions League, we are convinced that after the 0-1 defeat in the first leg at Lazio Rome, we will advance to the quarter-finals in the second leg in our fully occupied Allianz Arena with our fans behind us.”
Neuausrichtung zur neuen Saison: FC Bayern und Thomas Tuchel beenden Zusammenarbeit im Sommer.
— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) February 21, 2024
Tuchel said on the decision: “We have agreed that we will end our collaboration after this season. Until then, I and my coaching team will of course continue to do everything we can to ensure maximum success.”
In March 2023, Tuchel was initially hired by Bayern to replace Julian Nagelsmann. In his first few months in the position, he led the team to an 11th consecutive Bundesliga title. But the former manager of Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain has had trouble finding the right balance in the team, and this season’s performances have gotten worse, with Bayern behind Leverkusen in the league after 22 games by eight points.