The Bayern Munich saga keeps getting weirder. Another surprising turn of events will see Thomas Tuchel leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the 2023-24 season, as the two sides agreed in February. After the German giants failed in their attempts to hire a new coach for the upcoming season, the two sides sat down and rekindled talked about a possible contract extension over the past weeks, but it they weren't able to reach an agreement.
It was Tuchel himself who announced his decision during his last press conference ahead of Saturday's game against Hoffenheim. "This is my final press conference from Säbener Straße. Our agreement from February still stands. We spoke about it again recently, but we did not reach an agreement", he said.
"The feedback from recent weeks was the foundation for us having a discussion to stay and continue together but we couldn't reach an agreement", he added.
🗣️ Tuchel on his future:
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) May 17, 2024
"This is my final press conference from Säbener Straße. Our agreement from February still stands. We spoke about it again recently, but we did not reach an agreement." pic.twitter.com/8w9EBbUydG
The two sides agreed to part ways at the end of the current season last February due to the poor results in the league as Bayer Leverkusen won the 2023-24 Bundesliga title. Tuchel was appointed in March 2023 to replace Julian Nagelsmann in a surprising move, only a few days before the Champions League quarter finals against Manchester City. Later in the season, Bayern won an incredible Bundesliga title on the last matchday after Borussia Dortmund's draw against Mainz at home. Despite the success, the club decided to part ways with both CEO Oliver Khan and sport director Hasan Salihamidzic.
During the 2023-24 season Bayern struggled all season, resulting in their first Bundesliga title in twelve years and they were knocked out by Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinals. The successful European campaign led the club to reconsider their decision on Tuchel, but ultimately as with negotiations with Julian Nagelsmann and Ralf Rangnick before him, the two sides were unable to get a deal across the line.
Tuchel, who has a contract running until the summer 2025, will now look to other opportunities, and perhaps look to return to the Premier League, while Bayern need to find another manager as soon as possible. The names of Erik ten Hag and Roberto De Zerbi are still among the options being considered at the moment.
