Bayern hope immediate impact in hiring former foe Tuchel

Former Chelsea’s German head coach Thomas Tuchel speaks to journalists after the English FA Cup fifth round football match between Luton Town and Chelsea at Kenilworth Road stadium in Luton, central England, on March 2, 2022. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP)

Bayern Munich’s shock decision to fire Julian Nagelsmann for Thomas Tuchel was made squarely with Borussia Dortmund, their opponents on Saturday, in mind.

Dortmund head to Munich one point clear of Bayern, with the visitors’ former manager Tuchel making his debut in the Bayern dugout.

Bayern pulled the trigger in the middle of the season in the hope of replicating their stunning success of 2019-20, when they did the same.

Hansi Flick, brought in to replace Niko Kovac with the club still fighting on three fronts, took Bayern to a memorable treble while playing some of the most exciting football in the club’s history.

– ‘It’s a shame’ – After punching above his weight at Mainz, Tuchel made his name as a top-level coach at Dortmund, following the path of his predecessor Jurgen Klopp.

Like at Chelsea, where he took a spluttering side to a Champions League final victory just four months after taking over, Tuchel had an immediate effect at Dortmund.

Winning his first five matches, Tuchel helped Dortmund push a Pep Guardiola-led Bayern all the way in 2015-16, chalking up 78 points, still the highest-ever tally for a team in second.

Tuchel had Dortmund playing exciting and expansive football while remaining defensively stable.

Despite being Dortmund’s best coach in the post-Klopp era, Tuchel’s prickly nature and penchant for sparring with club bosses saw him out the door.

The break-up was as public as it was bitter.

Three days after coaching Dortmund to victory in the 2016-17 German Cup