Thomas Tuchel’s miserable marriage of convenience at Bayern Munich should be a warning to England, writes DOMINIC KING

The connection was obvious: a coach who won the Champions League joining a club that wanted to dominate the Champions League. A big name for a big name, a truly modern football affair.

Thomas Tuchel was unveiled by Bayern Munich in March 2023, charged with a mission that he will see repeated by the FA, as Mark Bullingham, the CEO with stars in his eyes, seems ready to realize his wish: to win.

However, there was something that felt forced. Tuchel arrived in Bavaria heartbroken as the pain of his Chelsea dismissal gnawed away.

“I loved this job,” he told Mail Sport in the Bayern enclave of Sabener Strasse, as he reflected on the three-minute encounter with Todd Boehly that led to him being thrown overboard. ‘I have a passion for it, I can tell you. How long did it take for me to get over it? It still hurts in a way.”

Bayern, meanwhile, had found themselves in uncharted territory when the great player who had been through the entire Bundesliga suddenly found his gears stuck.

The German manager arrived in Bavaria after being fired by Chelsea, a team where he felt very much at home

Tuchel’s connection with Bayern’s rivals Borussia Dortmund made them uncomfortable

German rivalry is different from English tribalism: clubs sell merchandise in pop-up shops outside rival stadiums when they play away and supporters often mingle without problem. But many Bayern fans struggled with Tuchel’s Borussia Dortmund past.

That explained why Tuchel was benched in his first match in charge without any recognition from any quarter at the Allianz Arena. It was clear that this would be a marriage of convenience, and not the start of a beautiful romance.

Tuchel might have overseen a 4-2 win over Dortmund on April 1, but those chaotic 90 minutes illustrated the problems he had inherited and the challenges that needed to be addressed. A conversation with Joshua Kimmich afterwards confirmed this.

“He brought an ‘old’ new system,” he told Mail Sport. ‘We played 4-3-3, not 4-2-3-1. We needed positive energy. We went deeper, there were a lot of good situations where we won the ball and created good chances. A good start, with many good points, but there are still many things we need to improve.’

This was a discussion that showed why it is foolish to assume anything in sports. Surely things would go well for Bayern from here, after beating their old enemies? Not a bit of it.

The coach was called in for a volatile marriage of convenience towards the end of the season

Although Tuchel won the Bundesliga in his first season, it was not without drama

By April 10, they had been knocked out of the German Cup by Freiburg and swept away by Manchester City in Europe.

Yes, Tuchel got Bayern over the line, but winning the Bundesliga on the last day of the season, thanks to a final 2-1 victory in Cologne, was just as much down to Dortmund suffering from stage fright when it was 2- 2 draw against Mainz. .

The acid test was always going to be the second season, after a number of new players were brought in. The £100 million addition of Harry Kane was expected to provide the magic that would allow Bayern to get back to top speed. But as a man who can fizzle and pop as quickly as a Bonfire Night rocket, Tuchel’s energy in the Bayern dressing room – a room that houses so many great and outspoken characters – had the potential to be highly flammable.

It wouldn’t be fair to say he has lost the dressing room. Much of the time, those familiar with the situation say Tuchel was good with the players and there was nothing wrong with what you would find at any other club. Those who play like the coach, those who don’t, don’t. T.

The manager had made it a priority to bring Harry Kane to the Allianz Arena and got his wish

One of Tuchel’s priorities at England will be enticing Anthony Barry to return to his team

Tuchel had put together an excellent backroom staff, including Anthony Barry, the innovative young England coach whose reputation is excellent. Tuchel adored him from the first moment he met him at Stamford Bridge. He will want him at his side with England.

Barry currently works as Roberto Martinez’s assistant at Portugal. He specializes in set pieces and obsessively looks at every aspect. The thesis he wrote for his pro license qualification looked at the 16,380 throw-ins during the 2018/19 Premier League season to see how they affected matches.

With Kane’s goals, some of the best facilities in the world and a trusted staff, everything was set to return Bayern to the top of German football, but the extraordinary thing about this story was that nothing really changed in terms of quality. of performances.

Watch players improve under Pep Guardiola. Within three months of seeing a new signing at Manchester City you can see the impact the manager has had on them. Also see how Carlo Ancelotti helps take Jude Bellingham to the next level at Real Madrid.

There was none of this at Bayern with Tuchel. Some early results were excellent: 8-0 against Darmstadt, 7-0 against Bochum and a 4-0 thrashing of Dortmund. But on December 9, a hole was blown when Eintracht Frankfurt defeated them 5-1.

A 5-1 defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt in December 2023 was the beginning of the end

Tuchel has managed to master some strengths, but it is difficult to say whether he has improved the rare talents at his disposal

From that point on, things started to unravel. Tuchel’s press conferences have always been something you would want to attend for their searing honesty and the colorful way he talks, but his words made headlines and put him at odds with the club.

When Bayern went to Leverkusen in February, their season-ending battle became a rift and a 3-0 defeat for the team that would replace them as the champions signaled the beginning of the end. The team that always won the competition eventually finished third.