Bayern Munich became the latest big European club that will be looking for a new coach in the summer. The Bavarian club released a statement on Wednesday to confirm Thomas Tuchel’s departure at the end of the season. The German coach has struggled to get the best out of the team this season.
The Bavarian club will look to find a new manager in the next three months. It does look like Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso is the first-choice target for Die Roten. They will face strong competition from Liverpool for the Spanish coach.
Hansi Flick has also been linked with a move to Bayern on a temporary basis if Tuchel struggles to get positive results in the coming games. Flick is currently without a role after parting ways with the German national team in September. The German coach enjoyed success with Bayern during his stint between 2020 and 2022. It does look like he has no interest in becoming an interim coach at Die Roten.
According to AZ (via iMiaSanMia), Flick doesn’t want to become an interim/caretaker coach at Bayern. The German manager is looking for a long-term project. Moreover, everyone at Bayern is not convinced about the prospect of bringing Flick back to Bavaria.
Flick recently appointed Pini Zahavi as his agent to explore the market for him in the summer. With several high-profile clubs looking for a new head coach, Flick will definitely end up in a coaching role by the start of the next season.
Tuchel is also expected to attract significant interest from Barcelona and English clubs in the summer. The German coach preferred staying in Bavaria until the end of his contract in 2025, but three consecutive defeats across all competitions forced the club to act and move in the other direction from next season.
Bayern chiefs are planning for a squad upheaval in the summer. Despite the departure of Tuchel, they will look to rejuvenate the squad to add more younger players who are hungry for success. Christoph Freund and Max Eberl will have a big role to play when it comes to appointing the new coach and executing the big transfer plans in the summer.
For the time being, Tuchel will look to end his stint at Bayern on a positive note. They are eight points behind Leverkusen in the title race. A good run of results from now until the end of the season will give them a fighting chance to retain the league title. Die Roten also need a strong performance in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Lazio to qualify for the quarter-finals.