After the sudden departure of Julian Nagelsmann at Bayern Munich last season, the Bavarian faithful would have hoped things would have been more serene on and off the pitch this campaign. However, the last seven days have shown that Die Roten are set for a turbulent last phase of the season.
Bayern suffered three consecutive defeats across all competitions during last week. After suffering a heavy defeat against league leaders Bayer Leverkusen, Die Roten also lost away at Lazio in the Champions League. The week fittingly ended on a worst possible note as Rekordmeister suffered a 3-2 defeat against VfL Bochum.
The three consecutive defeats have significantly increased fears of Bayern ending the season without a trophy. Thomas Tuchel is under severe scrutiny for poor performances during Ruckrunde. The German coach’s future in Munich is uncertain. The club chiefs are not planning to sack him this week, but they are certainly exploring contingency plans if Tuchel ends up leaving Bayern.
According to The Athletic, Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso is the top target for Bayern should they part ways with Thomas Tuchel. Despite Jan-Christian Dreesen’s vote of confidence for Tuchel, the Bavarian club is thinking about a change. Die Roten consider the appointment of Alonso an opportunity for the summer instead of a mid-season appointment.
Alonso has done a brilliant job at Bayer Leverkusen. The Spaniard has helped Leverkusen mount a proper title challenge this season. Bayer Leverkusen are unbeaten in the Bundesliga after gameweek 22, and they are leading the points table by eight points.
The Spanish coach also has a connection with Bayern as he spent the final three years of his playing career at the club. Alonso is familiar with the philosophy at the club, so he does have the skillset needed to succeed in Bavaria.
Bayern will face significant competition from Liverpool for Xabi Alonso in the summer. The Merseyside club is expected to come for Alonso to replace Jurgen Klopp. Klopp had already announced his departure from Liverpool at the end of the season. Alonso also spent a significant part of his playing career at Liverpool.
In an ideal scenario, Tuchel manages to turn around Bayern’s season in the next three months and stay at the club in the summer. The German coach will hope to get a much stronger response from the team when they host RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Anything but a win on Saturday will make Tuchel’s position untenable at Bayern.