After three unsuccessful managerial hires at German soccer’s most prestigious club, Bayern Munich, a leading journalist has suggested that the club should retain Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel announced his departure from the club in February after the current season and has since stated once that he is not willing to stay, but the argument is that the club should approach him in a low-key manner and try to change his mind.
The speculation stems from the recent rejection of current Austria national soccer team coach Ralf Rangnick, who had emerged as Munich’s top choice for the job.
The Austrian Football Association announced on its website on Tuesday that Lang will remain in charge of the national team after the European Football Championship 2024 (Euro 2024) in Germany in June. This means he will not be in charge of Munich for the 2024-2025 season.
Langnick said he would prefer to stay in Austria. “I have decided to stay with the Austrian national team,” he said, “This gives me immense pleasure and I intend to continue successfully on the path we have chosen.”
However, Langnick was polite to Munich. “I want to make it clear that this decision is not a rejection of Bayern Munich,” he said, “We are fully focused on Euro2024. We will do our best to go as far as possible.”
Austrian Football Association president Klaus Metterdorfer Öfer also welcomed the news. “We are very pleased with Langnick’s decision and commitment to the future,” he said, adding that “together we will focus even more on Euro 2024.” Austria are drawn in Group D at Euro 2024 with the Netherlands, France, and Poland in the Group of Death.
Langnick is the most likely candidate for the job that Munich have been pursuing over the past two weeks. He hasn’t denied that Munich made an offer, and it’s believed that the two sides are close to reaching an agreement. His good leadership at Leipzig also made him attractive to the German club.
However, Rangnick chose to decline.
This was a major setback for the Bavarians. The club had previously identified Xabi Alonso, the coach of this season’s Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, as their first choice, but when he 토토사이트 decided to stay, the club looked elsewhere. The club then negotiated with current Germany national team coach Julian Nagelsmann, but he chose to sign a new contract with the German Football Association through the 2026 World Cup. That’s three coaches who have said “no” to Löw.
Nagelsmann decided to stay with the German national team for similar reasons to Langnick, who said on March 19: “It is a great honor to train the national team and work with the best players in the country. The two victories against France and the Netherlands convinced me to stay. The passion of the fans really moved me. I am looking forward to a successful European Championship at home and a World Cup challenge in two years’ time,” he said on his reappointment.
Around Munich, current Aston Villa boss Unai Emery was also mentioned as a possible candidate. Having previously managed Arsenal, it was argued that his leadership skills at Aston Villa, where he took a relegation zone side a year and a half ago and turned them into a UEFA Champions League-caliber side, were enough to take the job in Munich. However, Emery also recently put pen to paper on a new contract at Aston Villa.
In the meantime, German journalist Kerry Howe, who works for Sky Sports Germany, has come out in favor of Tuchel’s retention. “The Munich board should apologize to Tuchel and continue his contract,” he wrote on social media, adding that “of course, a lot would have to happen to convince him.”
Tuchel signed a contract with the club in March of last year, running through the 2024-2025 season. However, the club’s struggles this season, which saw them miss out on their first German Bundesliga title in 12 years, led to constant doubts about Tuchel’s leadership. In late February, Tuchel announced that he would only stay at the club through this season, a year shorter than planned.
However, the club’s inability to find a successor to Tuchel has led to a growing consensus that Tuchel is better off staying. There were even reports that more than 10,000 Munich fans pleaded with him to stay.
However, with Tuchel stating late last month that he “has not changed his mind about leaving Munich,” and with English clubs such as Manchester United and Chelsea reportedly wanting him, it’s unclear if he will change his mind and stay. More recently, Munich’s honorary president Uli Hoeness criticized Tuchel for “not being able to develop young players,” a comment that Tuchel fired back at, saying it was a “stain on my honor.”
On the other hand, if Tuchel stays, it will be a slap in the face for Kim Min-jae. Tuchel has already criticized Kim after the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid on Jan. 1, blaming him for two goals in that match. The strongly worded criticism has led many to question whether Kim will get any playing time under Tuchel.