By Canadian Press

Bayern hires Tuchel to replace Nagelsmann as coach

Mar 24, 2023 | 10:07 AM

MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich hired Thomas Tuchel as coach on Friday to replace Julian Nagelsmann after losing the lead of the Bundesliga.

Bayern chief executive Oliver Kahn blamed “big fluctuations in performance” and said the squad wasn’t showing its true potential under Nagelsmann.

Tuchel will take over training from Monday with a contract until the end of the 2024-25 season.

The decision came after the team lost at Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

Bayern’s domestic league form over the last two months has been mixed, but the removal of Nagelsmann was widely seen as a surprise, especially following an assured win over Paris Saint-Germain this month to reach the Champions League quarterfinals. In a sign of loyalty to Nagelsmann within the squad, midfielder Joshua Kimmich praised him as an “outstanding” coach on Friday.

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Last week’s defeat to Leverkusen dropped Bayern to second place, one point behind Borussia Dortmund. Bayern’s next game is against Dortmund on April 1 and could play a key role in deciding the title race.

Tuchel led Chelsea to the Champions League title in 2021 and previously coached PSG — where he lost the 2020 Champions League final to Bayern — and Dortmund. Tuchel has been without a job since he was fired by Chelsea’s new American ownership in September after a surprise loss to Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb.

Bayern faces Manchester City in the Champions League quarterfinals on April 11.

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The Associated Press