Bayern Munich announced the termination of the contract with coach Julian Nagelsmann and the appointment of former Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel as his replacement today, Friday, leaving the German Football League title holder in second place.
The dismissal of the 35-year-old coach comes after Bayern lost 2-1 to Bayer Leverkusen last Sunday, leaving Borussia Dortmund to top the league.
Nagelsmann took charge in 2021 and led Bayern to its tenth consecutive title in the local first division, but failed to achieve any other titles last season.
Bayern bid farewell to the German Cup from the second round, after a resounding loss against Borussia Monchengladbach, and the European Champions League, after its surprising defeat against Villarreal.
But his departure came as a surprise, as Bayern is preparing to face league leaders Borussia Dortmund early next month, as well as Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on the 11th of next month.
Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn said, according to Reuters: "We concluded that the level of our team is in a noticeable decline despite winning the league last season".
added "After the World Cup, we were performing less efficiently and attractively, and our level fluctuated in a way that jeopardized our goals for the season, and beyond. This is why we act now".
Bayern said that Tuchel, who the German giants had been seeking to sign since 2018, had signed a contract until 2025.
Chelsea’s imagination led to winning the Champions League in 2021 after he took over the leadership to succeed Frank Lampard, but he has been without a team since his dismissal from the English team’s training last year.
Tuchel became famous in the Bundesliga after his offensive performance with Mainz before he took over Dortmund and won the German Cup with him in 2017.
The 49-year-old coach also led Paris Saint-Germain to win the French League title twice in a row, as well as reaching the Champions League final for the first time ever in 2020, when he lost to Bayern.
