Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel has made a curiously nuanced statement.
“Anything can happen,” he said, and the mainstream media are taking this very seriously. Tuchel could be retracting his February announcement that he would leave Munich at the end of the season.
If Tuchel stays, it would be a blow to Munich defender Kim Min-jae. Tuchel has expressed his disappointment in the defender’s play, publicly criticizing him after the home match against Real Madrid on January 1. Kim was hoping that Tuchel would leave after this season, but that may change if he stays.
Tuchel held a press conference on Wednesday ahead of the 2023-2024 Bundesliga Round 32 away match against Stuttgart at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, at 10:30 p.m. KST. Among the many questions asked, Tuchel’s departure from the club was one of them.
Tuchel left room for some nuanced thinking. Previously, Tuchel had said he was unlikely to stay, but in this interview, he said anything could happen. “We have an existing contract and we agreed to terminate it earlier,” he said. “Anything can happen. But the answer is the same. The contract is valid and the agreement is there.”
Whether it was a confirmation of his departure or a change of position, transfer market pundit Fabrizio Romano and the German media took note of the “everything is possible” comment and interpreted it as a change in Tuchel’s future.
Tuchel announced in February that he would step down at the end of the season. His contract runs until next season, but he agreed with the club that he would step down as Munich coach after this season.
The reason: poor performance. Munich had won the league title for 11 consecutive seasons prior to this season, but this season they lost the league title early to Leverkusen. Leverkusen won their first league title in 120 years. Munich missed out on both the league and DFB Pokal titles, leaving only the UEFA Champions League to play for.
Munich’s hierarchy is eager to find their next coach. But they’re having trouble finding a coach. All the candidates they have considered have turned down the club’s offer. It’s a matter of pride for the German capital.
The top two candidates for head coach have both announced their intentions to stay at the club. Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso, the top 토토사이트 candidate, announced that he will lead the club through next season, while Germany national team coach Julian Nagelsmann, the second-ranked candidate, extended his contract through the 2026 North and Central American World Cup, confirming that he will not be returning to his native Munich. Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, the third-ranked candidate, also extended his contract with Villa through 2027.
The fourth-ranked candidate, Austria national team coach Ralf Rangnick, was close to being appointed. The Munich board favored him, and he admitted that he was in contact with the Bavarians. However, he said he would not be going to Munich, preferring to focus on the Austrian national team. Several names have been floated, but none of them seem to satisfy Munich.
The Munich fans want Tuchel to stay. He has done well in the UEFA Champions League recently, leading the team to the quarterfinals, and has won the Champions League in the past. With several managers turning down the job, Tuchel could be the best alternative.
Recently, FC Barcelona’s Xavi Hernandez was set to step down after the season, but changed his mind and stayed on.
Tuchel’s decision to stay will be welcomed by Munich fans, but it’s bad news for Kim Min-jae. Kim made two costly errors in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Real Madrid that led to two goals. Tuchel publicly criticized him immediately after the 2-2 draw, saying, “He shouldn’t be defending like that.” The idea was that Kim’s defensive style was too aggressive and was hurting the team.
Of course, in a press conference before the Bundesliga away match against Stuttgart on April 4, Tuchel defended Kim, saying, “He learned from his two mistakes and they will be good momentum,” and “We will continue to support him and it is not appropriate to scapegoat him for his mistakes.”
However, with Munich’s first-choice center backs currently being Eric Dier and Matthias Düricht, and the club looking to bring in more center backs, Tuchel’s tenure could make it even more difficult for Kim to compete for playing time if a new defender arrives in Munich.