Thomas Tuchel is to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season, after a damaging run of three straight defeats left their Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League hopes in disarray.
The former Chelsea manager’s position came under threat after a limp 3-0 league defeat to title rivals Bayer Leverkusen was followed by a 1-0 last 16 first leg loss to Lazio in Rome.
On Sunday, things unravelled further when the 32-time German champions collapsed to a 3-2 defeat against mid-table Bochum to fall eight points behind league leaders Leverkusen.
Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen said that Tuchel’s job was safe after the loss, but Bayern ultimately decided to take action.
“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.”
Tuchel led Chelsea to Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup titles during an 18-month spell from 2021 to 2022, after winning back-to-back Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-German and taking them to the Champions League final.
He took the Bayern job in March 2023, replacing the sacked Julian Nagelsmann, and oversaw a dramatic final-day Bundesliga title win after a spectacular collapse from his former club Borussia Dortmund.
But 2023-24 proved difficult, with Bayern suffering shock defeats to Eintracht Frankfurt and Werder Bremen earlier in the season before their back-to-back losses in February.
“In a good, open discussion, we came to the decision 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.”
One bright spot has been the form of summer signing Harry Kane, who has scored 29 goals in all competitions since his move from Tottenham Hotspur.
Bayern’s next game is at home to RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Saturday, February 24.
