Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel has weighed in on the team’s current situation, emphasizing that he is not the only one responsible.
“It doesn’t matter whether I understand or am happy with the club’s decision (to sack him),” Tuchel said on Wednesday (Nov. 23), according to the BBC, “I don’t think it’s just me, but I accept my responsibility. I was unhappy with the way we were playing, and I’ve been unhappy for quite some time.”
Tuchel recently finalized his contract with Munich. His contract, which runs until the summer of 2025, was cut short by one year. He will only be in charge of Munich until the end of this season.
Poor form is the reason. The Bavarians are 11 points behind first-place Bayer Leverkusen (61 points) with 12 league games remaining. In effect, it has become difficult to come from behind to win the title. To make matters worse for Tuchel, the team has lost three straight official matches, including a recent defeat against Leverkusen that could spark a title challenge.
Tuchel’s performance was made all the more paltry by the fact that Munich had previously won 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles.
However, Tuchel admitted his faults, saying: “Now we are in a new situation. The situation has been resolved and communication has been established, but I don’t think I’m the only one with problems,” he said, adding the nuance that the squad also had problems.
Tuchel was recently embroiled in a player-blaming controversy when he singled out Harry Kane for criticism. Perhaps conscious of the controversy, Tuchel was reserved in his comments after the 2-3 loss to Bochum on Nov. 19, saying, “I’m not going to blame the players.”
One of the worst things a coach can do is blame his players. Jürgen Klinsmann, who recently parted ways with the South Korean soccer team, also publicly blamed his players for the loss. He blamed his “captains” Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) for the team’s quarterfinal 토토 exit at the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup. Klinsmann’s comments were hurtful to soccer fans, as the duo had been outstanding in the semifinals.
After the Asian Cup, Klinsmann’s head coach Andreas Harechok also blamed Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in for the team’s failure to win the tournament. They were like bad teachers who turned their arrows on their students.
Tuchel didn’t mention any specific players, but when cornered, he gave an interview reminiscent of Klinsmann’s comments.