Bayern Munich announced Thomas Tuchel as their new head coach on Saturday and during his unveiling press conference he spoke on his appointment as Bayern coach and what he expects.
Tuchel opened with how he feels about the appointment: “I’m convinced that it is an honour and a distinction to be contacted by FC Bayern. When you sign the contract, it’s a great honour. My special thanks for the trust go to Oliver Kahn, Hasan Salihamidžić, Herbert Hainer and Uli Hoeneß.” The former Chelsea boss added: “Even when you work abroad for a while, you become even more aware of the importance of FC Bayern. It’s one of the biggest clubs in Europe and the world.”
The 49-year-old also spoke on what he expects with Bayern: “The DNA of FC Bayern is all about winning, also about the way you play football. This squad is one of the most talented and best squads in Europe. I’m looking forward to working with this squad. You can compete for every title with this squad. That’s a big responsibility too.
“In the end, there’s also a personal reason for me to work here close to my family and in the state where I was born. There are many reasons that made me accept quickly.”
Tuchel was appointed Bayern coach on Friday after Julian Nagelsmann was dismissed as manager. He hasn’t managed since being sacked as Chelsea boss in September. On how quickly the job came about, Tuchel said: “The timing was surprising, I didn’t expect it and there was no contact beforehand. I assumed that I would continue my career abroad. The first interview was on Tuesday evening. The size of the challenge was the deciding factor that I wanted to do it.
“I’ve been in very close contact with Bayern before. But back then I couldn’t wait. It would never be appropriate to pressure anyone. Things went very quickly this time, it’s a top solution for me.”
The 49-year-old signed a contract with Bayern until 2025. When discussing the unusual short-term nature of the contract, Tuchel said: “For me, that’s not extremely important. I’m comfortable with the duration. If things go well we’ll try to extend it and if any of the people in charge don’t feel comfortable, it will change. As a first step, I will try to repay the trust.”
With it currently being the international break, Tuchel will have very little time with the full squad before they kick off an important run of fixtures.
“We don’t really have much time,” said Tuchel. “I probably won’t see the international until Friday. Winning all titles is still possible. Therefore, it will be all about the details. I have an idea of what to do and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s about playing for all titles”
Tuchel also spoke about his goals for the remainder of the season with Bayern: “The position that Julian created with the team, that we have a chance of winning the title in all three competitions, has to be exploited. Of course, there are also risks involved. But we love the pressure and the stress. My love for the game is way bigger than the concerns. It’s about approaching the task with confidence and we want to compete for all three titles.”
Tuchel also opened up about his view on Nagelsmann’s dismissal: “I can certainly empathise with him, but it’s not my responsibility. Contact with him? Certainly not right away. I don’t want to be disrespectful. It doesn’t help me to have his point of view now either. At some point, our paths will cross and we’ll talk.”
His first game will be against his former team Borussia Dortmund and could be a game that decides the direction of the Bundesliga title, on the importance of the reunion with his former team Tuchel said: “The challenge of starting directly with the game against Dortmund cannot be higher. It’s the biggest game in German football. It has taken on a new explosive dimension due to our deficit in the table and BVB’s extraordinary run. I’m looking forward to it.”
Over the next two weeks after the Dortmund game, he faces Freiburg back-to-back in the quarter-finals of the DFB Pokal and in the league. Before Bayern plays Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Champions League as well.
GGFN | Jack Meenan