It is a warning and shocking decision from Bayern Munich , Germany, a few days before the start of the decisive month of April for the Bavarian club, which decided on Friday to dispense with its coach Julian Nagelsmann and give the keys to the technical tasks to his compatriot Thomas Tuchel.
In the afternoon, Nagelsmann arrived with his advisors at the Bavarian club's headquarters, where he spent about an hour of time, before Bayern announced, after nearly two hours, its decision.
Bosnian sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic explained, "This was the most difficult decision during my time as a member of the board of directors for sport at Bayern Munich. I regret this parting with Julian. But after a comprehensive analysis of the sporting development of our team, especially since January and with the experience of the second half of the previous season, We have now decided to free him,” knowing that he spoke a few days ago about a “long-term project.”
As for CEO Oliver Kahn, Oliver Kahn spoke of a decline in the quality of play, especially after the winter break.
Nagelsmann arrived from Leipzig in the summer of 2021, with a contract until 2026, for a deal estimated at between 20 and 25 million euros. To replace him, the Bavarian leaders contracted with Tuchel until the summer of 2025, provided that he will be presented on Saturday at a press conference.
Earlier this week, Bayern President Herbert Hainer did not skimp on praising Nagelsmann when he made a statement to Kicker newspaper, stating, "I find that Julian is advanced (technically). He is a great coach who showed his superiority against Paris (French Saint-Germain in the Champions League final price). tactical and strategic at the highest European level.
5 days after the famous words of the president, the management of the Bavarian giants made a 180-degree revolution.
The timing is surprising. A month ago full of important sporting dates next April, most notably the expected match against Borussia Dortmund, the leader of the “Bundesliga”, a point behind Bayern, and another in the quarter-finals of the European Champions League against Manchester City, England. What could have prompted “Recordmaster” to Such a shift in the midst of an international break?
The relationship between Nagelsmann and his captain, Manuel Neuer, has deteriorated since Bayern and Germany's keeper sustained a fracture in the lower part of his right knee while skiing at the beginning of last December, which kept him away until the end of the season.
And after the goalkeeper coach since the summer of 2011, Tony Tabalovic, who was very close to Neuer, was fired in January, the Bavarian captain expressed his anger in two interviews with the newspapers Athletic and Sued Deutsche Zeitung, saying, "It seems as if my heart has been ripped out."
During his traditional pre-match press conference in Leverkusen last week, Nagelsmann expressed his annoyance at the presence of a "spy" in his team, after the match plans were leaked to the weekly Sport Bild.
Mathematically, the German champion in the last ten seasons in the era of the 35-year-old technician is experiencing his worst domestic season in 11 years, as he scored only 52 points in 25 games to finish second in the league, a point behind Dortmund. Thomas Müller's teammates have lost three times this season in the league, the last of which was Sunday in Leverkusen 1-2.
For the first time since the 2011-2012 season, when the last time the league title escaped Bayern in favor of Dortmund, the Bavarian does not find himself in the lead nine stages before the end of the season, after he gave it up in favor of his rival, who has not tasted loss since the beginning of 2023 (9 wins vs. Draw).
In contrast to his suffering in the league, the Bavarian giants achieved overwhelming success in the main continental competition, with a series of 8 consecutive victories and confrontations against Barcelona, Spain, Inter, Italy, in the group stage, and Saint-Germain in the final price, all of which ended in victory back and forth without conceding any goal.
It is clear that the dynamic in the “Bundesliga” is not favorable for Bayern, as Dortmund has scored 10 more points since the end of the winter break, and the coming weeks are the ones that carry all the risks: hosting Borussia on the first of next April is decisive in the last breath race to crown the title. . Then the confrontation with Freiburg 4 days later in the quarter-finals of the cup, especially the continental confrontation against City.
The issue is now left in the hands of Tuchel to resolve matters, after his duties in previous clubs that he supervised, such as Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, ended with sparks and dismissals. He leads his first training session on Monday, in the absence of most of his players, due to their preoccupation with their national teams.
History repeats itself with Tuchel. After he was dismissed from the French capital club in late 2020, he was appointed coach of Chelsea weeks later at the end of January, to later win the Champions League title with the “Blues”. This is all Bayern wants after this sudden revolution.