The Bavarian faithful will hope a coaching change in the summer will drastically change the team’s fortunes on the pitch next season. Bayern Munich continued to struggle in the Bundesliga as they suffered a 3-2 defeat away at Heidenheim on Saturday.
Thomas Tuchel is one of the best coaches in the world, but he has failed to get consistent performances from the team. Bayern have rightfully decided to part ways with him at the end of the season. A change of scenery will be good for Tuchel to get back to his best.
Bayern had identified Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso to succeed Tuchel in the summer. However, the Spaniard decided to shrug off interest from Bayern and Liverpool to stay in Leverkusen for one more season. Alonso would have been a fine appointment since he is already accustomed to the Bundesliga and has a connection with Bayern after spending the last three seasons of his career in Bavaria.
With Alonso off the market, Bayern are focussing on two coaches- Roberto De Zerbi and Julian Nagelsmann. Max Eberl has reportedly held talks with both coaches. While talking to Sky Sports in Germany last week, Lothar Matthaus urged Bayern to bring Nagelsmann back to Bavaria.
"“For me Julian Nagelsmann is the favourite, because of all the candidates being discussed, he is the best fit in my opinion. He knows the club and has often played very attractive football. Nagelsmann's return could be a really good thing under the current circumstances.”"Lothar Matthaus
Matthaus believes Nagelsmann will have a much more robust structure to work at Bayern. The previous club chiefs didn’t shield Nagelsmann properly and hastily sacked him when the team was alive in all three competitions. Nagelsmann needed more time to get consistency in performances.
Bayern want a deal in place for the next coach by the end of April. Nagelsmann also wants his future sorted before the Euros, allowing him to focus on the job with Germany. The former Hoffenheim head coach is reportedly open to re-joining Bayern. Eberl and Freund will hold more talks with Nagelsmann and De Zerbi in the coming weeks to make a final decision.
Meanwhile, Tuchel will look to salvage his and Bayern’s season by bringing the Champions League trophy to Allianz Arena. Bowing out with a Champions League title at Bayern will also help Tuchel boost his reputation and make himself a strong coaching candidate for other big clubs in Europe.
The German coach will hope to see a response from his team against Arsenal on Tuesday. A strong performance at the Emirates Stadium will give hope to the Bavarian faithful that a sweet end to the campaign is possible in a torrid campaign.