Thomas Tuchel reportedly sensed the end of his tenure as Bayern Munich boss.
Reports emerged on Wednesday announcing the departure of the former Chelsea manager from the German giants in the summer. Tuchel had been facing mounting pressure following a string of poor results.
The final blow came with a 3-2 defeat to Bundesliga strugglers Bochum on Sunday. This loss followed a damaging 3-0 defeat to title rivals Bayer Leverkusen the previous week, compounded by a 1-0 loss to Lazio in a Champions League last-16 tie the Wednesday before.
The report claims Tuchel is usually withdrawn following defeats, while he is often unsociable and looks to avoid any attempts to speak to Bayern’s hierarchy.
However, on the flight back from Bochum to Munich on Sunday, club officials saw that Tuchel was acting differently to his regular demeanour.
Reports suggest that Tuchel himself recognized the inevitable outcome, adopting a jovial and relaxed demeanor, even cracking jokes amidst the mounting pressure. Sources close to the situation noted that “he knew it was over” and that “the pressure was off.”
In the aftermath of these events, Bayern’s board, including key figures like Uli Hoeness and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, deliberated on the next steps. Despite acknowledging the need for change, the board found themselves without suitable interim options to replace Tuchel. As a result, they opted to retain him until the end of the season.
The decision to retain Tuchel was motivated in part by the hope that the clarity over his future would galvanize the players, leading to improved performances on the pitch. Additionally, there is an expectation that Tuchel’s demeanor may undergo a transformation, with the hope that he will either adopt a more assertive approach with the squad or demonstrate increased empathy towards their needs.
However, there remains a lingering concern within the Bayern hierarchy that the situation may not improve as desired. Should performances fail to pick up, there is a possibility that Tuchel’s departure could be expedited, forcing the club to seek a replacement sooner than anticipated.