Xavi’s impending departure from FC Barcelona has already led to some of the top coaches from around Europe linking with the opening, and that includes Thomas Tuchel. The German is currently the manager at Bayern Munich which by all relative accounts is struggling in Germany this season. Speaking at a Bayern Munich fan event on Sunday, Tuchel answered questions about the possibility of managing in Spain. His answers only raised questions and suspicions about where his career may go.
“Moving abroad would appeal to me again,” Tuchel said. “Spain has an extraordinary league. From my perspective, and based on my experience working with Spaniards, they are characterized by a tremendous amount of self-confidence.”
Tuchel went on to praise Spanish players regardless of where he has coached them in the past.
“When you speak with Spanish players, I quickly get the sense that you are engaging with the person.”
Tuchel has never managed in Spain. His resume includes stops in England with Chelsea and France with PSG. He started his career in Germany, and he has led Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, where he is now. Tuchel has won trophies at each of his last four clubs, and the most recent LaLiga opening sets up potential for more.
Since Xavi is leaving at the end of the campaign with Barcelona, Tuchel could join in the summer. That would go against Tuchel’s trends in years prior. Tuchel joined both Chelsea and Bayern Munich in the middle of the season, helping the club to immediate trophies. Still, the German has a desire to move to Spain at some point in his career. There may be no better time than the summer of 2024.
Unsurprisingly, German supporters and pundits did not take kindly to what Tuchel said about Spain and the potential to join Barcelona. Dietmar Hamann, a German icon with over 100 league appearances with Bayern Munich who now works for Sky, took great offense to what Tuchel said on Sunday.
“He (Tuchel) is a very intelligent man, something like that doesn’t just slip out of his mouth,” Hamann said. “Only he has to know one thing: If you are an employee of Bayern, taking on the management – that is rarely a good idea.”
Hamann compared the situation to Jürgen Klinsmann’s abbreviated stint with Bayern Munich in 2008/09. Klinsmann similarly struggled with Bayern Munich to what Tuchel is doing at Bayern currently.
Hamann pointed out that Tuchel’s concerns are lying in the wrong spot. As things stand, Bayern Munich is two points adrift of Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga table. Also, there is no guarantee of trophies in other competitions. Bayern already crashed out of the DFB-Pokal, and it lost the German Supercup. It appears Harry Kane’s trophy curse has come to Bayern Munich. Hamann says much of that comes down to Tuchel.
“When I look at the last three home games, it’s subpar by Bayern Munich’s standards. Against three teams that are at the bottom, that’s simply not enough. That has nothing to do with football.”
PHOTOS: IMAGO
