BAYERN MUNICH
How many managers have Bayern Munich had since Pep Guardiola left?
Tuchel is the latest coach at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern Munich has often been referred to as a family club, run by former players with shrewd financial management at the forefront of business operations. However, the recent surprise sacking of coach Julian Nagelsmann in the midst of the decisive period of the season has led to much criticism.
The last coach to remain in the Munich dugout for more than three consecutive seasons was Ottmar Hitzfeld, who was in charge from 1998 to 2004. After Pep Guardiola’s time at the Allianz Arena (from 2013 to 2016), Bayern have had a total of seven coaches in just seven years: Carlo Ancelotti, Willy Sagnol, Jupp Heynckes, Niko Kovac, Hansi Flick, Nagelsmann and now Thomas Tuchel.
Short stints for managers at Bayern
None of the managers mentioned above have lasted two years at the helm of Bayern, whose patience with their coaches is dwindling, especially given that the recently sacked Nagelsmann was still in all three competitions and had just eliminated PSG in the last 16 of the Champions League. His points average (2.31 per game) was also the fifth best in the club’s history behind Guardiola (2.41), Heynckes (2.43 in his second, 2.49 in his third spell) and Flick (2.53).
“I know the decision is not popular, but it was a decision we as Bayern Munich had to make. We can’t change the whole team. We had a top coach, but the performance level was not what we expected,” Hasan Salihamidzic, sporting director of the six-time European champions, said of the recent decision. It remains to be seen whether Tuchel manages to work past the two-and-a-half-year contract he has signed with the German giants.