Champions League: FC Bayern: Thomas Tuchel’s declaration of war on his own players

What would have happened if Thomas Tuchel had been allowed or could be really consistent as coach of FC Bayern Munich? Perhaps players who, like Thomas Müller, are seen as the club’s veterans or like the Dutchman Mathijs de Ligt, as a defensive pillar, would already be sitting in the stands. He might also have swapped the midfield center for a few sixes to his liking. Joshua Kimmich would not have been moved to the right side of defense when the personnel shortage no longer allowed any other solution.

And yes, Thomas Tuchel could possibly have skipped training before the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Lazio Rome this Tuesday, in which the Munich team had to turn around a 0-1 loss from the first game just a few weeks ago. Wasted time when the team does things that the coach never allowed them to practice, as Tuchel explained after the 2-2 draw on the last Bundesliga matchday in Freiburg.

Thomas Tuchel probably doesn’t necessarily mean anything bad when he says what he thinks. He probably can’t do anything else. And he doesn’t seem to care that he’s not only damaging his employer, FC Bayern, but also himself and his reputation. Before Munich’s last chance to at least end the season fairly well in one competition, the outgoing coach could not or did not want to hide how destroyed the relationship with the players was.

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Tuchel does not behave like a coach who had mutually agreed to part ways with his club. Rather, it gives the impression that the decision was more of a one-sided affair, one of FC Bayern. He was then able to hide his joy when his team scored goals quite well, both against Leipzig and in Freiburg, and waved off unsuccessful actions. When Tuchel says that the team will always receive support, “especially when things are difficult,” it doesn’t sound very credible.

Finally, he formulated his criticism of his players with a clarity and severity that was like a declaration of war. On Monday he put it into perspective somewhat and spoke of an “analysis without judgment”. Because one thing is also clear: Tuchel does not want to be the coach with whom Bayern fail in the round of 16 of the Champions League for the first time since 2019. “Everyone can be sure that there is no one who has more ambition to win the game against Lazio than me,” he promised. But whether this is received by players, fans and the club management will also depend on how he behaves on the sidelines and on the bench.

If nothing changes in the second leg of the round of 16, even if the Munich team is eliminated, those responsible will be faced with the decision to part ways with Tuchel immediately and rely on pragmatism in the interim solution. Or to play the miserable game for another two months because there is no coaching candidate who is available for a two-month commitment and meets the record champions’ high standards.

The hope of those responsible at FC Bayern that the early announcement of the separation would bring a little calm at the end of the season has not been fulfilled. There is more speculation than ever that Tuchel won’t last until May, that the Munich team with their new sports director Max Eberl won’t last with him. Experts bring suitable or unsuitable interim solutions into play, regardless of the almost daily water level reports on the courting of Xabi Alonso as the future coach.

The players will probably have to do it on their own against Lazio, because the coach doesn’t seem to have much access anymore. Tuchel said he doesn’t know whether “the lightness comes on its own,” the joy of playing that has only rarely been seen in the past few months. “We have to stay together,” says de Ligt – and by that he probably means standing together: “We need our own motivation.” Thomas Müller wrote in his monthly newsletter that he was convinced “that we will march like the fire brigade” to the next one to achieve the round “with heart and brain”. The will is there. But as we know, that alone is not always enough.

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