Bayern Munich’s entire season is at stake against Lazio, but Thomas Tuchel will remain in charge.
However should Bayern, who are currently 1-0 down against the Italian opposition, be eliminated from the Champions League at the Round of 16 stage then Tuchel’s future will no longer be certain, according to Kicker. An exit at this stage of the competition would showcase Bayern as a lost team, with the Rekordmeister also potentially 10 points behind Bayer Leverkusen come Sunday evening.
It was confirmed last month that Tuchel and Bayern Munich would part ways at the end of the season. The Bundesliga side have already identified Xabi Alonso as their primary candidate to replace Tuchel, but Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi also remains an option.
Kicker notes several body language issues when it comes to Tuchel. He no longer celebrates goals, repeatedly puts his hands on his face and shakes his head. But while being brutally honest during his press conferences, an example being saying his side “completely lacked structure” following their 2-2 draw against Freiburg on Friday, the report further notes that his gestures, if interpreted maliciously, suggest that the Bayern places no longer back their coach.
Which at this stage of the season, can be dangerous. Bayern Munich still have an excellent opportunity to progress to the next round of the Champions League and while Leverkusen could be 10 points clear if they beat Köln on Sunday, it’s a gap that Bayern Munich can make it, although they would need a miracle.
GGFN | Daniel Pinder