Thomas Tuchel has confirmed he will leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season following reports he was open to staying on as manager.
Bayern announced on February 21 that Tuchel would leave the club at the end of the campaign. But there have recently been suggestions that both the club and manager were considering the possibility of him staying, following huge support for the idea from fans and players alike.
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But Tuchel confirmed on Friday that Saturday's game at Hoffenheim would be his last game in charge of Bayern.
“This is my last press conference on Säbener Straße. [Bayern’s training centre]”Tuchel said. “The February agreement remains. There were further talks, but we have not reached any agreement on further cooperation. That's why the agreement stands.”
Tuchel's original contract ran until 2025, and reports suggested he was seeking an extension until 2026 if they agreed for him to stay.
There was talk of a possible stay at the club after Bayern were linked with moves for Xabi Alonso and his former coach Julian Nagelsmann. Former Manchester United coach Ralf Rangnick was also in talks, but he decided to continue his tenure at the helm of Austria.
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Tuchel's announcement on Friday will be a blow to those players who have supported him in recent weeks. It is also understood that sporting director Christoph Freund and sporting director Max Eberl were interested in Tuchel staying.
This follows a turbulent season that saw Bayer Leverkusen end Bayern's 11-season reign in charge of the Bundesliga. They were eliminated from the DFB Cup in the second round against Saarbrücken and eliminated from the Champions League in the semi-finals against Real Madrid.
With Tuchel confirming he will leave the club, Bayern could consider another former manager, Hansi Flick, as an option to replace him, while they have also been linked with Brighton's Roberto de Zerbi and Man United manager Erik ten Hag. .
