Thomas Tuchel’s tenure at Bayern Munich could be in jeopardy if the team fails to progress past Lazio in the Champions League. Despite Tuchel’s announcement of his departure at the season’s end, an early exit from the continental competition might lead to his immediate dismissal.
Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg reported on social media that the match against Lazio was a decisive moment for Tuchel. He stated (via GOAL):
“Tuchel will be the coach against Lazio. If Bayern reaches the quarterfinals, regardless of how, Tuchel should stay in charge until the end of the season. But: If Bayern exits after the 0-1 loss in the first leg, an immediate separation is likely!”
Plettenberg also highlighted the lack of viable interim options internally at Bayern Munich:
“The problem: is at this stage there isn’t a single top interim option internally who should take over until the end of the season.”
Additionally, Plettenberg mentioned that Bayern Munich has identified Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso as their preferred successor:
“There are currently no plans for a coach who is available now and will remain head coach beyond the season, like Zidane, to take over in case of an early Tuchel departure. The reason being that Bayern still wants to sign Alonso!”
Currently trailing Bayer Leverkusen by seven points in the Bundesliga standings, Bayern Munich faces a crucial period in their season, with Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen side posing a significant challenge.
