Bayern Munich have sacked head coach Julian Nagelsmann and replaced him with former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, according to widespread reports.
The shock move has reportedly come just days after Bayern were beaten 2-1 by Bayer Leverkusen to leave them a point behind Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund heading into the international break.
If the reports are correct, Tuchel’s first game in charge of Bayern will be against his former club Dortmund on April 1.
Nagelsmann signed a five-year deal when he took over as Bayern boss in April 2021 after impressing with RB Leipzig.
He won the Bundesliga in his first season in charge but Bayern were beaten in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by Villarreal and lost 5-0 in the second round of the German Cup to Borussia Monchengladbach.
Bayern have been impressive in the Champions League this season, winning all eight games, scoring 21 goals and conceding just twice.
However, in the Bundesliga they have lost twice and drawn three games in 2023 to fall behind Dortmund.
Tuchel has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in September. He won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 and has previously managed Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain.
Bayern play Dortmund after the international break and soon meet Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Bayern play Dortmund after the international break and soon meet Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic did not hold back in his criticism of Bayern’s display in their loss to Leverkusen.
Salihamidzic told DAZN: “That wasn’t what Bayern Munich means. We missed everything. We let ourselves be overrun by a team that was still playing on Thursday [in the Europa League]. Bayer was better in every respect.
“I’ve rarely experienced so little drive, so little mentality, so little duel, so little assertiveness.
“This team is so good when they have a mentality from the start and go 100 percent. And she’s not as good when she’s playing like she is today. When she is lazy and thinks that she can do anything with the playful quality. She just can’t.”
Bayern are bidding for an 11th Bundesliga title in a row.
Eurosport
