Thomas Tuchel will part ways with Bayern Munich when the season concludes, following a series of setbacks that have thrown their Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League aspirations into chaos. The ex-Chelsea boss faced mounting pressure after a string of three consecutive defeats, beginning with a lackluster 3-0 loss to title contenders Bayer Leverkusen, compounded by a 1-0 defeat to Lazio in the first leg of the last 16 in Rome.
Things worsened on Sunday as the 32-time German champions succumbed to a 3-2 loss against mid-table Bochum, widening the gap to eight points behind league leaders Leverkusen.
Bayern's chief executive, Jan-Christian Dreesen, initially assured Tuchel's job security after the defeat, but ultimately, Bayern chose to make a change.
"FC Bayern Munich and head coach Thomas Tuchel have jointly decided to end their working relationship, which was originally set to run until 30 June 2025, on 30 June 2024," the club wrote on their website. "This is the outcome of a constructive discussion between CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen and Thomas Tuchel.
"We have agreed that we will end our working relationship at the end of this season," Tuchel added.
"Until then, I will of course continue to do everything I can with my coaching staff to achieve maximum success."
During an 18-month tenure from 2021 to 2022, Tuchel guided Chelsea to Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup victories. Before his stint at Chelsea, he achieved consecutive Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain and led them to the Champions League final.
In March 2023, Tuchel assumed the role at Bayern, succeeding the dismissed Julian Nagelsmann. Under his leadership, Bayern secured a dramatic Bundesliga title on the final day of the season following a remarkable collapse by his former club, Borussia Dortmund.
"In a good, open discussion, we decided to end our working relationship by mutual agreement in the summer," said Bayern CEO Dreesen.
"Our goal is to pursue a new footballing direction with a new head coach for the 2024 /25 season. Until then, every individual at the club is expressly called upon to achieve the maximum possible in the Champions League and Bundesliga."
A shining light amidst the challenges has been the performance of summer acquisition Harry Kane, who has netted 29 goals across all competitions since joining from Tottenham Hotspur.
Bayern's upcoming fixture is a home match against RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Saturday, February 24th.
