Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel will leave the club at the end of the season (JAVIER SORIANO)
Bayern Munich’s elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid on Wednesday will usher in a summer of reflection, with the German giants facing an uncertain future.
Just 12 months away from hosting the Champions League final at their home Allianz Arena, Bayern will begin a summer rebuild without knowing who will be on the coaching bench next season.
Dethroned as German champions for the first time in 11 years by Xabi Alonso’s rampant Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern’s Champions League campaign offered a sense of salvation for a club in a quagmire largely of its own making.
Bayern agreed to part ways with coach Thomas Tuchel in February after falling behind Leverkusen in the title race. Despite there being talk of a “mutual decision”, Tuchel said at the time that he would have preferred to remain in the role.
Although Tuchel’s stock has risen since then, after taking Bayern within minutes of the Champions League final, several candidates have already missed out on the chance to replace him as manager.
Alonso, former mentor Julian Nagelsmann and former Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick have reportedly declined Bayern’s interest.
The last-minute exit, marred by referee frustration and an uncharacteristic mistake by captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, means the first trophyless season since 2012.
A season without titles is always an unthinkable result in Munich. But with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final and Leverkusen on course for a treble, Bayern have a lot to ponder.
– ‘A very painful defeat’ –
Speaking at a gala dinner at a Madrid gourmet restaurant hours after the elimination, Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen spoke to players and club officials, including Tuchel and honorary president Uli Hoeness.
Dreesen acknowledged the “very painful defeat” but said the 2025 Champions League final “is our big goal now!”
The former banker’s speech, intended to end the disappointment in the room, was met with sporadic applause.
Hoeness, who has officially stepped down from his role at the club but remains Bayern’s main mediator, criticized Tuchel just two weeks ago for his inability to develop junior players.
“He doesn’t think you can improve (Alphonso) Davies, (Aleksander) Pavlovic or (Jamal) Musiala.
“He thinks if it doesn’t work, you should buy another one. I think you should work with them and give them confidence.”
The fact that all three played a prominent role on Wednesday – with Davies scoring Bayern’s only goal and Munich’s Pavlovic anchoring the defensive midfield – only serves to highlight Hoeness’s misguided criticism.
– ‘I loved my time in England’ –
Tuchel said Hoeness had “hurt his honor as a coach”, but for Bayern the statements not only undermined any chance of keeping Tuchel but also sidelined other potential targets from the role.
Tuchel had previously left the door ajar to staying at Bayern beyond the season, but said on Wednesday night that “it’s no secret that I loved my time in the Premier League with Chelsea and in England.”
Bayern sporting director Max Eberl, in office since March, faces several challenges on the pitch.
Alonso’s decision to beat Bayern, as well as reported interest from Liverpool and Real, means that Leverkusen will once again be a real threat next season.
Dortmund may be fifth in the league this season, but they could go into the next campaign as winners of the Champions League.
Several of Bayern’s biggest stars, including Leon Goretzka, Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry, are underperforming, and their income does not match their hefty salary packages.
Defenders Dayot Upamecano and Min-jae Kim, who cost a total of 92.5 million euros ($100 million), have occupied much of the bench in recent months, with Eric Dier, excluded from Tottenham, preferring to partner Matthijs de Ligt as a defender.
The club’s best players are also on the wrong side of 30. Neuer, who impressed despite the error, is 38 and Thomas Mueller turns 35 this year.
Harry Kane, undoubtedly Bayern’s star this season with 44 goals in 45 games, will turn 31 in the summer.
The combined challenges mean that Bayern, trophyless and coachless, face the biggest challenge to their hegemony in a generation.
dwi/bsp
