February 21 – After just 15 months in charge, Thomas Tuchel is to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season as part of a so-called “sporting realignment” at the club.
Tuchel replaced Julain Nagelsmann in March 2023 on a deal until June 2025. But the former Chelsea boss will depart a year earlier than planned after a poor season by Bayern’s high standards.
“We came to the mutual decision to end our collaboration in the summer,” Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said in a statement, following talks with Tuchel. Bayern would look for a “new sporting direction” under a new coach next season, Dreesen added.
Tuchel’s pre-emptive dismissal comes after three straight defeats, including a painful 3-0 loss to league rivals Bayer Leverkusen.
With 12 games left in the season, Bayern sit eight points behind Xabi Alonso’s side, who have yet to lose during the campaign and are on an historic 32-game unbeaten streak in all competitions.
Following the Leverkusen setback, Bayern slipped to a 1-0 defeat against Lazio in the Champions League round of 16, then a humiliating 3-2 loss to minnows Bochum in the league.
Tuchel, who will leave on June 30, pledged that “until then, my coaching team and I will of course continue to do everything we can to ensure maximum success.”
But he suffers the same fate as his predecessor Nagelsmann, who was fired in March last year with the perennial German champions came second in the league.
Bayern bosses quickly pounced for Tuchel but only a slip by Borussia Dortmund going into the final day of the 2022-23 Bundesliga season allowed Bayern to seal their 11th-straight Bundesliga title.
They went into this season as strong favourites to make it 12 after the marquee signing of Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur.
But despite Kane leading the league with 25 goals, Bayern have faltered badly and were sensationally dumped out of the German cup race by third-division side Saarbruecken.
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