Bayern Munich News Latest: Bayern’s executives are being scrutinised after failed gamble by replacing Nagelsmann with Tuchel
Bayern Munich’s departure from the Champions League on Wednesday has focused attention on the club’s management and their surprising decision to fire former manager Julian Nagelsmann.
The six-time champions league winners drew 1-1 at home against Manchester City but were eliminated 4-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals following a 3-0 first-leg thrashing in Manchester.
Nagelsmann was fired in late March, while the club was still in contention for three trophies. Bayern, since then, has won two, drawn two, and lost two matches under Tuchel, and has been eliminated from both the German Cup and the Champions League. Tuchel, on the other hand, is likely to be spared much of the blame due to the short time he has been in the post, with the emphasis fully on club leadership.
Fans have chastised chief executive Oliver Kahn and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic for not only removing Nagelsmann, but also for the club’s overall trajectory since taking over from Uli Hoeness and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Even if Bayern wins its 11th consecutive Bundesliga title this season, the club’s hierarchy will face its first serious test.
With resources that exceed every other German club, domestic dominance appears certain for Bayern, even though they only hold a two-point advantage over Dortmund in the Bundesliga, putting more emphasis on Champions League success. Given the tournament’s significance in Munich, the decision to fire Nagelsmann is even more baffling. YOu can check out why the board decided to sack Nagelsmann here.
He had won eight of his previous eight champions league games, defeating Barcelona, PSG, and Inter Milan twice without surrendering a goal in the process. Despite the club’s acclaimed lacklustre performance under Nagelsmann, Bayern only lost three of 37 matches this season in all competitions. Bayern Munich placed a high value on Nagelsmann, paying up to 25 million euros to release him from his contract with RB Leipzig, the biggest transfer cost for a manager, before signing him to a five-year contract.
The new manager, according to Salihamidzic, will be a “long-term project” in the mould of club giants Ottmar Hitzfeld and Jupp Heynckes. Nagelsmann was fired just days after a 2-1 setback to Bayer Leverkusen which dropped Bayern to second place, one point behind Dortmund.
The club’s executives had hoped to replicate the treble-winning season of 2019-20, when caretaker manager Hansi Flick was appointed mid-season to replace the dismissed Niko Kovac, and Bayern went on to win every trophy available. Tuchel was even mentioned by management as having led Chelsea to a Champions League title after being hired in the middle of the season.
In the run-up to Wednesday’s encounter, Kahn told Bild that “of course, we imagined it a little differently,” referring to the team’s German Cup exit, Bundesliga form, and certain Champions League elimination since Nagelsmann’s departure. Aside from Nagelsmann’s dismissal, recruitment decisions have been criticised, particularly the failure to adequately replace star striker Robert Lewandowski. Sadio Mane, who arrived in the summer to much excitement, has failed to live up to his Liverpool expectations and has not scored for Bayern since October.
Bayern Munich only managed one goal in both matches against Manchester City, a penalty from captain Joshua Kimmich on Wednesday. Aside from Kimmich, the only other players to score in Bayern’s last five games have been defenders Dayot Upamecano, Benjamin Pavard, and Matthijs de Ligt. At the end of Wednesday’s game, Bayern fans hoisted a banner that read: “Goals can be missed, but values of the club may not: question management policy.”
Tuchel addressed the banner after the game on Wednesday, stating, “I can promise the fans that we are taking good care of the club.”
