Liverpool plans suffer blow after Bayern Munich confirm Thomas Tuchel departure
European football is set for an almighty managerial scramble this summer after Bayern Munich confirmed their head coach, Thomas Tuchel, will be stepping down.
Champions League-winning former Chelsea boss Tuchel only took charge at Bayern 11 months ago and was contracted until the end of next season.
But the German has agreed to leave at the end of the current campaign, in which the club look set to fail to win the domestic title for the first time in 12 years.
“FC Bayern Munich and head coach Thomas Tuchel have jointly decided to end their working relationship, which was originally set to run until 30 June 2025, on 30 June 2024,” the club said.
“This is the outcome of a constructive discussion between CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen and Thomas Tuchel.”
Tuchel follows Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez in confirming their impending departures months in advance.
It means that three of the continent’s biggest clubs will be searching for new bosses to take over in the summer – and may be chasing the same candidates.
Xabi Alonso, whose Bayer Leverkusen side have left Tuchel’s team trailing, looks set to be at the centre of a fight for his services, with Bayern and Liverpool both keen on the Basque.
Tuchel, meanwhile, will be seeking a fourth different job in five years, after his brief spells at Bayern, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
“We have agreed that we will end our working relationship at the end of this season,” said the 50-year-old. “Until then, I will of course continue to do everything I can with my coaching staff to achieve maximum success.”
Tuchel could yet bow out in a blaze of glory, with Bayern still in with a chance of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals if they can beat Lazio next month.
England captain Harry Kane is among Bayern’s players, who have also been given a rocket by the club’s CEO Dreesen.
“Our goal is to pursue a new footballing direction with a new head coach for the 2024/25 season,” said Dreesen.
“Until then, every individual at the club is expressly called upon to achieve the maximum possible in the Champions League and Bundesliga. I also explicitly hold the team accountable in this regard.
“In the Champions League in particular, after losing 1-0 in the first leg at Lazio, we are convinced we will reach the quarter-finals at a packed Allianz Arena with our fans behind us.”