Bayern Munich appoint Thomas Tuchel as manager

Stuart Telford

• 23 Mar 2023 17:02 CDT
• 1 min read

Bayern Munich have appointed Thomas Tuchel as manager, the former Chelsea man replacing Julian Nagelsmann, who was dismissed on Thursday.

Tuchel has signed a two-and-a-half year contract at the Allianz Arena, little more than six months on from his sacking by new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly.

Tuchel steered Borussia Dortmund to a runners-up finish behind Bayern Munich in 2016 before leading subsequent teams Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea to consecutive Champions League finals - the latter of them victorious.

Things went south for him in West London after Boehly replaced Roman Abramovich as Chelsea owner.

Tuchel was given the summer transfer window - and players like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Deniz Zakaria and Kalidou Koulibaly were reportedly his signings - but he was sacked a matter of days into September, replaced by Brighton's Graham Potter.

Nagelsmann leaves Bayern with a 71.3 per cent win ratio and a Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City to look forward to, but the German champions trail leaders Dortmund by a point at the top of the Bundesliga.

Tuchel and Dortmund won't have to wait long for a reunion, with Bayern welcoming their coach's former employers to the Allians Arena for Der Klassiker on the first Saturday back after the international break.

Bayern reportedly moved quickly for Tuchel - as harsh as it might seem on Nagelsmann - with the Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur jobs likely to become available next summer.

There is a touch of irony in Bayern's appointment, with Tuchel having given Nagelsmann his first taste of coaching when the pair were at Augsburg at the tail-end of the latter's short playing career.