Bayern Munich announced on Wednesday that manager Thomas Tuchel will part ways with the club at the conclusion of the season. Amid ongoing speculation about Tuchel’s future, Bayern finds themselves trailing Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen by eight points.
The team’s recent performance has been less than stellar, suffering defeats in their last three matches. These losses include setbacks in the Bundesliga against Leverkusen and Bochum, as well as a 1-0 loss to Lazio in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie last week.
This marks the first instance since May 2015 — when Bayern had already secured the Bundesliga title — that the club has experienced three consecutive defeats in competitive matches.
“We have agreed that we will end our working relationship at the end of this season. Until then, I will of course continue to do everything I can with my coaching staff to achieve maximum success,” Tuchel said in a statement.
If Bayern cannot close the gap on Leverkusen, it would mark the first occasion since the 2011-12 season that they miss out on the domestic title. Tuchel took over from Julian Nagelsmann as Bayern manager last March, with the club trailing just one point behind the Bundesliga leaders and still in contention in the Champions League.
While Tuchel guided Bayern to the league title last season, their triumph came down to the wire. They clinched the silverware on the final day, benefiting from Borussia Dortmund’s inability to overcome Mainz, allowing Bayern to leapfrog them in the standings.
During the summer transfer window, Bayern Munich made significant moves — securing Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur in a deal potentially valued at €120 million ($131m) and acquiring Kim Min-Jae from Napoli for €50m ($55m). However, they also witnessed the departure of key players like Lucas Hernández, Ryan Gravenberch, Benjamin Pavard, and Sadio Mané.
Despite a promising start to the season, Bayern has faced difficulties maintaining pace with the undefeated Bayer Leverkusen under the management of Xabi Alonso. With four losses and two draws in 22 games so far, Bayern’s recent form has raised concerns.
Following their most recent defeat to Bochum, Bayern’s CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen made it clear that Tuchel’s position as manager was not up for discussion.
“I am not a fan of monstrous coach-backing statements — they usually run out after a week,” Dreesen said. “But this [Tuchel’s future] is not an issue we are dealing with at the moment. We have to focus on our next matches.”
Dreesen quickly changed his tune, however.
“In a good, open discussion, we came to the decision to end our working relationship by mutual agreement in the summer,” Dreesen said in Wednesday’s statement.
“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.
