Tuchel reflects on tumultuous Bayern tenure: "Not expecting flowers."
The 50-year-old expressed gratitude to his entire coaching team for "giving it their best shot" during a brief tenure with the record champs, noting that what might be best for his colleagues will determine where he goes next.
When it comes time to honor a retiring/departing player or coach on a Bundesliga pitch, honors are typically bestowed upon those leaving the club ahead of the final home match of the season. Plaques and pennants are sometimes accompanied by a bouquet of flowers. Outgoing FC Bayern München head-coach Thomas Tuchel made clear that he expected nothing of the sort as his tumultuous and hectic tenure with the German record champions draws to a close.
After taking over for Julian Nagelsmann last March, Tuchel did manage to lead Bayern to their 11th-consecutive title last season. It took until the final day of the season - and a Dortmund fluff up - for this to be accomplished. The 2022/23 FCB incarnation were eliminated from both the Champions' League and DFB Pokal under Tuchel's watch. Tuchel at least has one trophy to add to the Pokal title he won with Dortmund and the UCL crown he captured with Chelsea.
A repeat of these occurrences, combined with a SuperCup loss and Leverkusen's historic season, means that last year's Mesiterschale will be the only title Tuchel won in Bavaria. Tuchel will coach his final home fixture for Bayern tomorrow. After revealing that family and friends had been contacting him for tickets, the 50-year-old reflected on his time with the club at a Saturday presser.
"One doesn't award flowers for a premature contract termination without a title," Tuchel wistfully mused with a slight grin, "[on Wednesday in the Champions League] we pushed ourselves to the limit until the very last minute. We haven't managed that in the Bundesliga and that's my responsibility. There are shades of gray [in that black-and-white picture], but that's not for me to air publicly."
"I'm personally not satisfied with the outcome," Tuchel noted when discussing his 15 months in charge on the whole, "[Myself and my coaching team] signed on with Bayern to win titles. That's how we'll be judged. In the final analysis, we gave it all our best shot. I have no idea what comes next. Together, we'll figure it out. I'll take my time thinking about it."