Bayern Munich sack Nagelsmann, appoint Thomas Tuchel as new manager

MUNICH: German club Bayern Munich on Friday sacked manager Julian Nagelsmann after less than two years in charge and appointed Thomas Tuchel as his replacement until 2025.

The German side have won the last 10 Bundesliga titles and sit second in the table this season – one point behind leaders Borussia Dortmund. They beat Paris St-Germain to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, where they will face Manchester City.

The 49-year old Tuchel, who was sacked by Premier League club Chelsea in September, replaces Nagelsmann on a contract until 30 June 2025 and will take training for the first time on Monday.

“When we signed Julian Nagelsmann in the summer of 2021, we were convinced we would work with him on a long-term basis – and that was the goal of all of us right up to the end. But now we have come to the conclusion that the quality in our squad – despite the Bundesliga title last year – has come to the fore less and less often,” said Bayern chief executive Oliver Kahn in a club statement.

“After the World Cup we have played less successfully and less attractively. The big fluctuations in performance have cast doubt on our goals for this season, but also our goals for the future.That is why we have acted now. Personally and on behalf of Bayern, I would like to thank Julian and his coaching team, and wish everyone the best of luck for the future,” he added.

Nagelsmann, 35, joined Bayern after a spell at RB Leipzig and won the league by eight points in his first season in charge, in addition to the German Supercup in 2021 and 2022.

The 35-year old Nagelsmann came to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2021 after a spell at RB Leipzig and won the German title in his first season as well as the German Supercup in 2021 and 2022.

On Sunday his side were beaten 2-1 by Bayer Leverkusen, leaving them with just five wins from their past 10 league games.

Meanwhile, Bayern also confirmed that assistant coaches Dino Toppmoller, Benjamin Gluck and Xaver Zembrod have also left the club.

Notably, Tuchel won the Champions League with Chelsea in May 2021 – one of three trophies won in 20 months at Stamford Bridge – and was voted World Coach of the Year following that campaign. But the German was sacked on new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly’s 100th day in charge in September, following a 1-0 defeat by Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.

Bayern’s next game is against league leaders Dortmund on Saturday, April 1.