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Football: Bayern’s DNA clearly defined for Tuchel

Tuchel, who will make his debut in Munich after the international break in the league summit against the current leaders and his former club Borussia Dortmund, signed a contract with the German record champions until June 30, 2025. “It’s an honor and a distinction to be asked by FC Bayern,” said the new head coach, who led Chelsea to triumph in the Champions League in 2021.

Due to the current situation – Bayern is only one point behind Dortmund in second place in the German Bundesliga – Tuchel does not expect a grace period. “The DNA of the club is very clearly defined,” said the 49-year-old. And this definition consists only of the word win: “The squad is put together accordingly. It’s one of the most talented and the best squads in Europe. You can play for any title with this squad.”

Tuchel has big plans for Bayern

Thomas Tuchel has been introduced as Bayern Munich’s new coach. In his first press conference, the 49-year-old stressed that he was surprised by Bayern’s offer.

The Bavarian management is also convinced that with Tuchel the man who will bring the Bayern ship, which he believes is wobbling, back on course, has been signed. “We need a top man like that now. He has gained a lot of experience abroad,” said Salihamidzic. The negotiations between the Bayern management and Tuchel began last Tuesday. The timing of Bayern’s request was surprising for Tuchel, the German had expected to continue his coaching career abroad.

GEPA/Witters/Lennart Preiss

Among others, Tuchel (2nd from right) was presented by CEO Oliver Kahn (3rd from right) as the new Bayern coach

“All three titles” as the goal

In any case, the 49-year-old is looking forward to his debut game as Bayern coach at his former club Borussia Dortmund. “It’s a huge game that’s coming up, now even bigger for us in this constellation. It’s the game in German football, it has taken on a new explosiveness due to our deficit and BVB’s run,” said the Bayern coach. It is important to do everything in the coming weeks to win “all three titles” in the Bundesliga, Champions League and DFB Cup.

But the first goal for him is to find a connection to the players. He is aware that not all players are “happy” with a change of coach. “You gain confidence the quickest on the training ground,” said Tuchel. He also commented on the separation from Nagelsmann. “A coaching position only becomes vacant when it has been vacated,” he said of the logic of the football business: “I can understand that it feels very modest for Julian.”

“Considered” decision

It was also the lack of contact between Nagelsmann and the players that persuaded the Bayern management to change coaches. “We have one of the best squads in Europe. And yet the team’s performance continuity hasn’t really improved. In the second half of the season we cannot be satisfied with the results and the performances we have often shown,” said CEO Oliver Kahn. The constellation between coach and team no longer fit.

Since the board has the “duty and our task of ensuring sporting success”, the change of coach in the middle of the decisive phase of the season is “not a panic reaction”, as the former world-class goalkeeper explained: “It has nothing to do with panic at all.” The decision to release Nagelsmann on Friday was “well thought out” and not a decision based on emotion.

The management team is aware that not everyone can understand the change. “I know it’s not a popular decision,” said sports director Hasan Salihamidzic. The management felt compelled to act because of the constant fluctuations in performance because “the performance curve is constantly going down”. “The last few days have been difficult for all of us. There were also one or two nights when I didn’t really sleep well.” Nevertheless, the 35-year-old Nagelsmann continued to be “an excellent, a very good coach”, as Kahn emphasized.

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