Unveiling the Truth Behind Bayern and Tuchel's Shocking Split

During the return flight from Bochum to Munich, club officials noticed a change in Thomas Tuchel's demeanor. The 50-year-old coach, who had previously been withdrawn and kept to himself after defeats, was suddenly relaxed and cracking jokes. According to sources who spoke to The Athletic on condition of anonymity, Tuchel seemed to know that his time at Bayern Munich was coming to an end and the pressure was off.
After suffering their third consecutive loss, the Bayern board met with supervisory board members Uli Hoeness and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge for advice on the next steps. Both former players, Hoeness and Rummenigge had led the club for 30 years and had recently reassumed positions of power after the firing of chief executive Oliver Kahn and board member for sport Hasan Salihamidzic in May.
It was unanimously agreed that a change was necessary due to the team's poor performances, but with no suitable interim coach available, it was decided to announce Tuchel's departure without finalizing it. In a statement released on Wednesday morning, the club stated that after a "constructive discussion" between Tuchel and Jan-Christian Dreesen (Kahn's successor as CEO), Tuchel would leave one year earlier than his contract stipulated, at the end of the current season.

 

Where did it all go wrong?

According to sources close to Tuchel, it all started with his decision to take over as manager in the middle of last season. The former Chelsea manager is known for his methodical and detail-oriented approach, but without enough time to properly prepare for the job, he was unable to address the team's issues, such as defensive instability and a tendency to fall apart during matches.
Furthermore, Tuchel's bosses, Kahn and Salihamidzic, who had hired him with the intention of rebuilding the squad, were gone shortly after Bayern secured a dramatic last-minute-of-the-last-day title. Dreesen, a former finance director with no football expertise, replaced Kahn, but there was no new sporting director in place for the summer transfer window.
Instead, a transfer committee consisting of Tuchel, key board members, and the "ancien regime" duo of Hoeness and Rummenigge was formed, with mixed success. While Bayern did sign Harry Kane, they were left short in defense after Tuchel allowed right-back Josip Stanisic to go on loan to Bayer Leverkusen. Most importantly, Tuchel's request for a new defensive specialist, or "holding six", as he called it, went unheeded.
Despite Tuchel's desire to sign Arsenal-bound Declan Rice, the club deemed him too expensive. Tuchel also proposed selling either Leon Goretzka or Joshua Kimmich, both of whom had criticized the club for firing Julian Nagelsmann, in order to make room in midfield. However, the board resisted and the potential signing of Joao Palhinha for €60 million was ultimately unsuccessful due to Fulham's inability to bring in a replacement.
As a result, Tuchel was left with the very Goretzka-Kimmich combination he had deemed unworkable. According to a source close to Tuchel, he felt like a doctor who saw that his patient needed urgent surgery but was only allowed to prescribe a bit of therapy.

 

The paradox of managing Bayern Munich

 

One of the quirks of managing Bayern Munich is the limited influence a manager has on squad composition. In cases where opinions are divided, the board has always erred on the side of backing the existing roster and avoiding costly upheaval. This has led to a paradox where the club wants managers with a clearly defined footballing philosophy, but won't give them