'Tuchel was a CATASTROPHE' claims Bayern Munich chief

Suraj Radia

16 Oct 2024 20:00 BST
3 min read

Bayern Munich director Uli Hoeness has described Thomas Tuchel as a ‘catastrophe’ in the wake of the German boss being named as the new England manager.

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The FA announced Tuchel as the new permanent successor to Gareth Southgate on Wednesday, handing him an 18-month contract to manage England until the 2026 World Cup.

Tuchel had been out of work since leaving Bayern at the end of last season following a disappointing season which saw the German giants fail to win the Bundesliga title for the first time in 12 years.

Bayern had announced Tuchel’s plans to step down in the summer mid-way in the season, with the ex-Chelsea coach having constantly battled with Hoeness and his superiors during his 14 months at the helm.

And it appears there is no love lost between the pair, with BILD reporting that Hoeness gave a speech at a Bayern leadership summit last week, claiming Tuchel was a ‘catastrophe’ for the club and his style made the team lose its ‘entertainment value’.

Hoeness also criticised the atmosphere in the team under Tuchel and praised his successor Vincent Kompany, insisting Bayern were back to being ‘entertaining’ once again.

Tuchel would not be surprised by Hoeness’ comments given the pair have had numerous public falling outs in recent times and it evidently had no effect on England appointing him as their third-ever foreign manager.

© IMAGO - Thomas Tuchel has been appointed the new manager of England.

Hoeness vs Tuchel: A battle long in the making

Hoeness had previously attracted attention by criticising Tuchel’s willingness to coach and improve young players, while also claiming the manager made Bayern look bad by complaining of a thin squad.

Tuchel had snapped back at Hoeness, claiming the comments over his coaching ability ‘deeply offended’ him, particularly as it came before Bayern’s Champions League tie against Real Madrid.

Speaking in April, Tuchel said: “If we have proven something in the coaching team over the last 15 years, it is that young players - especially from the academy - always have a place with us in training and, through performance, always have a place on the pitch.

“And by the way, we have now proven that! I have very little understanding of it. I find it absolutely baseless!

“This is actually so far away from reality that I wouldn't have reacted to it at all if it hadn't come from Uli. The fact that comes from our boss before Real gives it a different flavour.”