Thomas Tuchel and Bayern Munich have decided to part ways at the end of the current season.
The decision comes after the Bavarian side failed to beat relegation battlers Bochum in the Bundesliga last Sunday.
Bayern, who have had a stronghold of the German league for 11 seasons in a row, are now eight points behind Xabi Alonso’s league leaders Bayern Leverkusen, to whom they lost 3-0 earlier this month.
In a statement issued by the club today, they stated that an “amicable conversation” took place to “end the collaboration”.
“In a good, open discussion, we came to the decision to end our working relationship by mutual agreement in the summer. Our goal is to pursue a new footballing direction with a new head coach for the 2024/25 season,” said Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dressen.
“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.”
The Bayern CEO then went on to give some words of inspiration for fans, players and anyone related to the club: “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.”
The German manager also stated: “We have agreed that we will end our working relationship at the end of this season. Until then, I will of course continue to do everything I can with my coaching staff to achieve maximum success.”
The former Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Chelsea boss took the reins of the Bavarian club in March 2023, after the dismissal of the now-German national team head coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Tuchel who had previously managed both Mainz and Borussia Dortmund had never won a Bundesliga title in his career, a title which he secured on the last day of the 2022-23 season after rivals Dortmund failed to secure a win against ninth-place Mainz. Meanwhile, his Bayern side defeated Cologne 2-1 securing the title by goal difference.
This season has seen Tuchel successfully guide Bayern to the round of 16 in the Champions League, topping their group, which included the likes of Manchester United, Galatasaray and Copenhagen.
However, the Bavarian side haven’t counted on the same luck domestically, losing the Super Cup to RB Leipzig, going out in the second round of the DFB Pokal to Saarbrücken who play in the German third division, and trailing all season behind an “invincible” Bayern Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
Bayern are set to face RB Leipzig on Saturday in the hopes of closing the gap to Xabi Alonso’s team.
