Bayern Munich’s Problems Persist As Bundesliga Race Hangs. Leading the Bundesliga is Bayern Munich. What’s problematic is that it now has a clear path to claiming an 11th straight Bundesliga championship. When Bayern’s annual revenues are 83% higher than those of its closest rival, Borussia Dortmund, the Bundesliga championship should be taken for granted. Being unsuccessful would be embarrassing. This makes it very impossible to evaluate how the squad is doing, which is basically what has led to the current problem.
Three losses and two draws have occurred in Thomas Tuchel’s eight games since he replaced Julian Nagelsmann. In a month under Tuchel, Bayern lost to Manchester City in the Champions League quarterfinals, Freiburg in the DFB-Pokal quarterfinals, and temporarily lost the lead in the Bundesliga. Even worse, there are speculations that Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidi could be fired, and Sadio Mané has been suspended for allegedly hitting Leroy Sané.
Bayern Munich’s Problems Persist As Bundesliga Race Hangs
At the end of March, Nagelsmann was fired as Bayern led the league and prepared to face Manchester City in the Champions League. He had won 60 of his 84 games in charge of Bayern and only suffered three losses all season. Although showing up to practice on a skateboard probably didn’t help perceptions, and there was something a little odd about him being on a skiing vacation when the decision was made, this was not a normal dismissal in any way, and there was also no indication of some hidden off-field scandal.
Instead, the board claimed that Nagelsmann’s firing was the result of declining league results and a dearth of player development. And it is true that in their 10 Bundesliga games since the World Cup, Bayern had lost two and tied three. However, on a more practical level, it seemed that Bayern’s hierarchy believed that the team would have a better chance of defeating Manchester City in the Champions League under a different coach.
Nagelsmann had won each of his eight Champions League games this season but had a mixed record in the biggest European contests. While RB Leipzig’s losses to Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain in prior seasons were notable less for the result than the lackluster play, Bayern Munich’s quarterfinal loss to Villarreal was a glaring opportunity lost.
