FC Bayern: Tough Matthäus verdict: “Bayern plays worse under Tuchel” Sports

Lothar Matthäus (62) will also be very close to his Bavarians on Saturday.

As a Sky expert at the away game in Cologne. He doesn’t expect a surprise from the champions: “As the strongest team in the league at home, Dortmund won’t let Mainz take the trophy at home,” says the Bayern legend to BILD.

Why the FC Bayern under coach Thomas Tuchel (49) has (most likely) lost their third title after the DFB Cup and Champions League, is clear for the record national player (150 appearances).

His tough verdict: “Of course, many mistakes were made even before the change of coach, which ultimately led to this situation. But the team, which was still on triple course under Nagelsmann, plays worse under Tuchel.

Matthäus’ analysis: “The squad is individually so strong that you have to at least become a champion with him. But the team doesn’t work because everyone is busy with themselves. Tuchel increased the uncertainty because at his press conferences, which I find a bit strange, he always talks about how difficult everything is and what doesn’t work, instead of standing in front of the team. Add to that the unnecessary Müller discussion and too many changes of position.”

“Incomprehensible. That seemed perplexed!”

And further: “Compared to the 6-0 win against Schalke on matchday 32, Gnabry suddenly played on the left a week later in the 3-1 draw against Leipzig, Coman on the right and Müller as a centre-forward, which is certainly not his best position. How are stability and security supposed to come about? Then, when the score was 1-1, Tuchel substituted the goal scorer Gnabry for the weak Sané, and Goretzka, who really threw himself into it, against the dissatisfied Gravenberch. And at 1: 2 he brings Tel for Coman, who is actually the only one who is still strong in one-on-one situations. Incomprehensible, that seemed really at a loss.”

The fact that Tuchel lost three titles within two months has already scratched his image, says Matthäus. “Of course he’s already under a lot of pressure for next season. That’s another reason why he calls for new players. But the fact that names like Declan Rice, Adrien Rabiot and Julian Alvaréz leaked out during the all-important championship phase also contributed to the team’s uncertainty,” says the 1990 world champion.

Matthew sees the situation like this: “Bayern don’t need many new players. The big and very expensive upheaval already happened. I would trust 85 to 90 percent of the current team, even though they’ve been missing the Mia-San-Mia lately. Above all, this is a question of leadership and motivation. A center forward? Yes, he’s been missing since Lewandowski’s departure. For example, I can well imagine Dušan Vlahović from Juventus Turin. 23 years old, 1.90 meters tall, and Juve probably won’t play in the Champions League. And Rice as a six? If Kimmich holds his position again, Bayern will not need a new six. He and Goretzka used to work very well, at Bayern and in the national team. It’s up to the coach to get that back. If Bayern can get Rice from West Ham United, who is also hotly courted in England and is therefore expensive, Kimmich would have to play right-back in the future, which he doesn’t want at all.”

Matthäus expects the big, more important change in the leadership of FC Bayern. On May 30, the supervisory board will decide on the future of CEO Oliver Kahn (53) and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic (46). Matthäus: “It looks like things aren’t going any further with Oliver. President Herbert Hainer could temporarily fill the post himself. The previous CFO Jan-Christian Dreesen would be a strong long-term solution. After ten years at Bayern, he now has good football expertise. Brazzo is still close to Uli Hoeneß, that could save him. But maybe he needs a strong man at his side in the sporting field. If Karl-Heinz Rummenigge were to get closer to day-to-day business in an advisory capacity, that would certainly be an advantage.”

It all sounds as if Bayern only got really exciting after the nearly lost final for the cup.