Bayern Munich Introduces New Head Coach Thomas Tuchel

It is now official, Bayern Munich has replaced Julian Nagelsmann with Thomas Tuchel. The 49-year-old former Dortmund, PSG, and Chelsea boss has signed a contract until 2025 in Munich. The new head coach was also introduced on Saturday at a special press conference held at the Allianz Arena.

“I’m convinced that it is an honor and a distinction to be contacted by FC Bayern,” Tuchel said in his opening remarks at the press conference. “When you sign the contract, it’s a great honor. My special thanks for the trust go to Oliver Kahn, Hasan Salihamidžić, Herbert Hainer, and Uli Hoeneß.”

A press conference that gave some insight into the process that led to Nagelsmann’s sacking and Tuchel’s hiring with the director of sport, Salihamidžić, revealed that he first contacted Tuchel on Tuesday. “We are all professionals,” Salihamidžić said. “We’ve come to realize that we need a coach like him who has a lot of experience in Germany and abroad. We met on Tuesday evening and had a very good conversation.”

Tuchel, in the meantime, admitted that he was surprised about the timing of Bayern’s approach. “The timing was surprising, I didn’t expect it, and there was no contact beforehand,” Tuchel said. “I assumed that I would continue my career abroad. The first interview was on Tuesday evening. The size of the challenge was the deciding factor that I wanted to do it.”

Surprising or not, there was some convenience in approaching the 49-year-old. Tuchel has been living in Munich for some weeks, and reports suggest that the Bayern bosses were told they would have to do it now if they wanted to sign the former Chelsea boss.

Perhaps what Tuchel meant in terms of timing was not Bayern’s approach but rather the time of the season. An international break does offer some opportunities to make changes and reset things at clubs. But at Bayern, the reality is also that most players will be on duty with their respective national teams.

“We don’t really have much time,” Tuchel said. “I probably won’t see the international players until Friday. Winning all titles is still possible. Therefore, it will be all about the details. I have an idea of ​​what to do, and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s about playing for all titles.”

That will give Tuchel little time to prepare his team for the must-win game against his former club and Bundesliga leaders, Dortmund. “I’m a fan of fixing everything on the training ground,” Tuchel said. “It’s a big change when the head coach leaves. The quickest way to gain confidence is to walk straight onto the pitch. It’s clear that there will also be group discussions and feedback from the players.”

Nonetheless, Tuchel seemed to cherish the idea of facing his former club in a massive game in Germany. “The challenge of starting directly with the game against Dortmund cannot be higher,” Tuchel said. “It’s the biggest game in German football. It has taken on a new explosive dimension due to our deficit in the table and BVB’s
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extraordinary run. I’m looking forward to it.”

Tuchel added that the fixture against Dortmund would be necessary to build trust between the coaching staff and the players. But he also added that his love for the game and the possibility of coaching a massive club like Bayern was bigger than any concerns he had about starting at this point in the season.

In fact, Tuchel was quick to point out that the Rekordmeister is still in a position to win all three titles this season. “The position that Julian created with the team, that we have a chance of winning the title in all three competitions, has to be exploited,” Tuchel said. “Of course, there are also risks involved. But we love the pressure and the stress.”

The treble then remains Bayern’s goal for the season. “The DNA of FC Bayern is all about winning and the way you play football,” Tuchel said. “This squad is one of the most talented and best squads in Europe. I’m looking forward to working with this squad. You can compete for every title with this squad.”

Without a doubt high expectations. But Bayern Munich has the squad to win the treble this season. Tuchel’s job is to stabilize what is perhaps one of the most talented squads in European football.

In fact, and this was not said at the press conference on Saturday. Tuchel’s hiring is very much about protecting the jobs of the people above him. CEO Oliver Kahn and director of sport Salihamidžić have often pointed out this season that this was the best squad the Rekordmeister has ever assembled. Under Nagelsmann, however, that squad did not always meet that billing.

It is now up to Tuchel to show that his new bosses were right. That means a significant result against Dortmund and then against Man City in the Champions League. Only victories can stabilize the situation; lack of positive results, in the meantime, will undoubtedly mean that questions will get raised about people in charge further up in the hierarchy.

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth