Bayern Munich’s search for a new head coach has already seen a lot of unwanted twists and turns. After top target Xabi Alonso decided to stay at Bayer Leverkusen, Julian Nagelsmann ruled out a move to Bayern by signing a contract extension with DFB.
The Bavarian club has been linked with several head coaches in the last three days, but one coach is emerging as a clear favourite to replace Thomas Tuchel. According to TZ, Ralf Rangnick is the leading candidate to be Bayern’s head coach next season.
Rangnick will join Bayern after the Euros. TZ reports that a deal with Bayern can be completed this week once Rangnick gives his nod for this role. He will manage the Austrian national team at the European Championship.
The German coach had previously ruled out a move to Bayern. As per TZ, significant talks have taken place between Bayern and Rangnick. The public comments from Rangnick should not be taken at face value. Christoph Freund has previously worked with Rangnick at RB Salzburg, which can potentially help Die Roten to seal the deal.
It will be an intriguing appointment for Bayern since Rangnick has not consistently coached at the club level in the last five years. His interim spell at Manchester United was disastrous. He took over the role of head coach of the Austrian national team after leaving Manchester United in 2022.
Rangnick enjoyed productive coaching spells with RB Leipzig, Schalke, and Hoffenheim. His work with RB Leipzig was impressive as he helped them to get promoted to the Bundesliga. However, Rangnick has worked in sporting director roles after the coaching tenure at RB Leipzig.
Apart from Rangnick, Roberto De Zerbi has been heavily linked with a move to Bayern. The Italian coach reportedly held talks with Max Eberl during the international break in March. It does look like the next Bayern coach will be one of these two names. Rangnick will have the edge over De Zerbi when it comes to the experience of working in the Bundesliga.
Despite improvement in performances over the last couple of weeks, Thomas Tuchel will leave at the end of the season. Eberl admitted that the search for a new coach is in the final stages, and an announcement will come soon. Since Bayern were targeting an announcement by the end of April, a decision will be made this week. Meanwhile, Tuchel is attracting concrete interest from Manchester United.