Thomas Tuchel
Coaching career
Coaching career
---------------

### Early career

Tuchel began his coaching career in 2000, hired by [Ralf Rangnick](/wiki/Ralf_Rangnick "Ralf Rangnick") as youth team coach at [VfB Stuttgart](/wiki/VfB_Stuttgart "VfB Stuttgart"), where he aided in player development; [Mario Gómez](/wiki/Mario_G%C3%B3mez "Mario Gómez") and [Holger Badstuber](/wiki/Holger_Badstuber "Holger Badstuber") became club regulars under him. Tuchel coached the club's under\-19 side to the [Bundesliga](/wiki/Under_19_Bundesliga "Under 19 Bundesliga") title in the 2004–05 campaign. He left after that season, with the club opting not to renew his contract, citing his abrasive coaching style and demeanour. In 2005, Tuchel returned to Augsburg, with club sporting director Andreas Rettig noting the club's admiration of Tuchel's tactical discipline led to him being appointed youth team coordinator.

He was hired despite lacking a [UEFA Pro Licence](/wiki/UEFA_coaching_licences%23UEFA_Pro_Licence "UEFA coaching licences#UEFA Pro Licence"), which he gained in a six\-and\-a\-half month course in [Cologne](/wiki/Cologne "Cologne") under [Erich Rutemöller](/wiki/Erich_Rutem%C3%B6ller "Erich Rutemöller"). Tuchel held the position as coordinator for three years, transitioning into senior club management after accepting the position as first team coach at [FC Augsburg II](/wiki/FC_Augsburg_II "FC Augsburg II") for the 2007–08 season. With Augsburg II, he coached a team which included [Julian Nagelsmann](/wiki/Julian_Nagelsmann "Julian Nagelsmann"), himself an injury\-prone defender, who transitioned to a coaching career after Tuchel instructed him to scout for the club in 2008\. Tuchel also garnered a reputation for his combustibility towards referees during games, often receiving fines from the [Bavarian Football Association](/wiki/Bavarian_Football_Association "Bavarian Football Association") (BFV) as a result. At the end of the 2007–08 [season](/wiki/Landesliga_Bayern-S%C3%BCd "Landesliga Bayern-Süd"), Tuchel's Augsburg II finished fourth.

### Mainz 05

Tuchel's time as the coach of Augsburg II impressed many top\-level German clubs, and he went on to be appointed by [Bundesliga](/wiki/Bundesliga "Bundesliga") club [Mainz 05](/wiki/1._FSV_Mainz_05 "1. FSV Mainz 05") in 2009, replacing [Jorn Andersen](/wiki/Jorn_Andersen "Jorn Andersen"). Having signed an initial two\-year contract, he was promoted into the role after acting as a youth coach at Mainz for the previous 12 months, during which he had won the U\-19 Bundesliga. According to club executive [Christian Heidel](/wiki/Christian_Heidel "Christian Heidel"), Tuchel's perfectionism, going as far as to analyze pitch maintenance prior to a game against [Olympiacos](/wiki/Olympiacos_F.C. "Olympiacos F.C."), contributed to his eventual appointment.

[thumb\|upright\|Tuchel at [Mainz 05](/wiki/1._FSV_Mainz_05 "1. FSV Mainz 05") in 2014](/wiki/File:ThomasTuchel2014_%28cropped%29.jpg "ThomasTuchel2014 (cropped).jpg")

The composition of the squad was seen in Tuchel's tactical approach at Mainz, as despite possessing technically inferior players, he instructed them to utilize long distribution and focus on pressing off the ball, typically overloading one portion of the opposition half in order to create less space to generate counter\-attacking opportunities, as relentless high\-pressure would create chances by dispossessing or forcing errors from the opposition. An initial disciplinarian, Tuchel reportedly forbade his players to leave the canteen while others were still eating, deeming it ill\-mannered. Tuchel's tactics based on pressing and positional play led Mainz to a ninth\-placed finish in [his first season as manager](/wiki/2009%E2%80%9310_Bundesliga "2009–10 Bundesliga").

In the [following campaign](/wiki/2010%E2%80%9311_Bundesliga "2010–11 Bundesliga"), Tuchel's Mainz enjoyed a perfect start to the season, winning seven of their first seven games, including an away victory over [Bayern Munich](/wiki/FC_Bayern_Munich "FC Bayern Munich"). This coincided with Tuchel's employment of [René Marić](/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Mari%C4%87 "René Marić") and Martin Rafelt, founders of the tactics blog *Spielverlagerung*, to compile occasional scouting reports on Mainz's opponents. Tuchel eventually led the team to a fifth\-placed finish as the club improved by 11 points to qualify for the [third\-qualifying round](/wiki/2011%E2%80%9312_UEFA_Europa_League%23Third_qualifying_round "2011–12 UEFA Europa League#Third qualifying round") of the [2011–12 UEFA Europa League](/wiki/2011%E2%80%9312_UEFA_Europa_League "2011–12 UEFA Europa League").[Match Report](http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/dfbpokal/spielrunde/dfb-pokal/2012-13/4/1877176/spielverlauf_1-fsv-mainz-05-30_sc-freiburg-7.html)   DFB\-Pokal 2012–13, accessed: 27 February 2013 Only four Bundesliga sides scored more goals than Mainz in the 2010–11 campaign, who had scored 52 goals in total. Of those goals, fifteen had been scored by rising star [André Schürrle](/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Sch%C3%BCrrle "André Schürrle"), and ten by [Sami Allagui](/wiki/Sami_Allagui "Sami Allagui"), who was a key part of Tuchel's pressing machine.

Mainz fell to a thirteenth\-placed finish the [following season](/wiki/2011%E2%80%9312_1._FSV_Mainz_05_season "2011–12 1. FSV Mainz 05 season"), having notably lost Schürrle to [Bayer Leverkusen](/wiki/Bayer_04_Leverkusen "Bayer 04 Leverkusen") in the summer. Allagui's lack of form added to Mainz's issues in attack, although new signing [Eric Maxim Choupo\-Moting](/wiki/Eric_Maxim_Choupo-Moting "Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting") was able to score ten goals, and midfielder [Julian Baumgartlinger](/wiki/Julian_Baumgartlinger "Julian Baumgartlinger")'s organization and discipline helped the team and "marked him out" as a future club [captain](/wiki/Captain_%28association_football%29 "Captain (association football)"). Mainz suffered an early exit in the Europa League, and ended the season with 39 points, the lowest total during Tuchel's spell at the club. In the [2012–13 season](/wiki/2012%E2%80%9313_1._FSV_Mainz_05_season "2012–13 1. FSV Mainz 05 season"), Mainz would go on to repeat their thirteenth\-placed finish from the season prior. Despite a poor start and end to the season, there were significantly fewer struggles than in the previous campaign, and the team finished six points below seventh place. [Ádám Szalai](/wiki/%C3%81d%C3%A1m_Szalai "Ádám Szalai"), who netted thirteen times, solved the goal\-scoring issues up front, while [Nicolai Müller](/wiki/Nicolai_M%C3%BCller "Nicolai Müller") and [Andreas Ivanschitz](/wiki/Andreas_Ivanschitz "Andreas Ivanschitz") scored eight and seven goals respectively. Mainz was knocked out in the quarter\-finals of the [DFB\-Pokal](/wiki/DFB-Pokal "DFB-Pokal"). In what would turn out to be his [final season](/wiki/2013%E2%80%9314_1._FSV_Mainz_05_season "2013–14 1. FSV Mainz 05 season") with the club, Tuchel led Mainz to a seventh\-place finish, qualifying for the group stages of the [2014–15 UEFA Europa League](/wiki/2014%E2%80%9315_UEFA_Europa_League "2014–15 UEFA Europa League"). At the beginning of the season, he had brought in Japanese forward [Shinji Okazaki](/wiki/Shinji_Okazaki "Shinji Okazaki"). Deployed in a central striking role, he went on to have a prolific season, scoring 15 goals in the Bundesliga, a record for a Japanese player.

Despite approaches by [Schalke 04](/wiki/FC_Schalke_04 "FC Schalke 04") and Bayer Leverkusen for his services in the latter\-half of the 2013–14 season, Tuchel remained at Mainz until the end of the campaign. However, in May 2014, he asked to be released from his contract, later stating that he "couldn't see how \[the team] could reinvent \[itself] once more the coming summer." Tuchel explained that he had already made the decision to leave Mainz at the end of the season in autumn of 2013\. Mainz initially refused to release him from his contract, but on 11 May 2014, he was allowed to step down. Tuchel concluded his Mainz career with a record of 72 wins, 46 draws, and 64 losses, from 182 games, with a win percentage of 39\.56%; only the big four German clubs — [Bayern Munich](/wiki/Bayern_Munich "Bayern Munich"), [Schalke 04](/wiki/Schalke_04 "Schalke 04"), [Borussia Dortmund](/wiki/Borussia_Dortmund "Borussia Dortmund") and [Bayer Leverkusen](/wiki/Bayer_Leverkusen "Bayer Leverkusen") — amassed more league points than him, and he achieved a better points record at Mainz than [Jürgen Klopp](/wiki/J%C3%BCrgen_Klopp "Jürgen Klopp").

### Borussia Dortmund

#### 2015–2016: League runner\-up

In April 2015, coach [Jürgen Klopp](/wiki/J%C3%BCrgen_Klopp "Jürgen Klopp") announced that he would leave [Borussia Dortmund](/wiki/Borussia_Dortmund "Borussia Dortmund") following the [2014–15 season](/wiki/2014%E2%80%9315_Borussia_Dortmund_season "2014–15 Borussia Dortmund season"). Dortmund, inquiring over the availability of various coaches, quickly decided on Tuchel, eager to incorporate a similar press\-based footballing philosophy made a club trademark under Klopp. Tuchel's appointment as the club's new head coach for the following season occurred on 19 April. Signing a three\-year deal effective from 1 July, he returned to coaching after over a year without a club. Both Klopp and Tuchel completed the same path of moving from Mainz to Dortmund.

Joining at the beginning of the summer window, Tuchel was eager to avoid speculation and off\-the\-pitch distractions. He addressed the issue of star players who were in a dilemma between staying and leaving, rapidly convincing them that Dortmund could meet their ambitions. After securing the futures of several important players, Tuchel identified targets that could help the squad compete and "bridge the gap at the top". Dortmund and Tuchel's approach was to build upon Klopp's foundations, keeping the team's core with shrewd additions. This policy resulted in the acquisitions of [Roman Bürki](/wiki/Roman_B%C3%BCrki "Roman Bürki") and [Julian Weigl](/wiki/Julian_Weigl "Julian Weigl"), players who were not considered stars, but had potential to be so, while [Gonzalo Castro](/wiki/Gonzalo_Castro "Gonzalo Castro") joined the club for €11 million. Another major off\-field decision at Dortmund included replacing well\-loved pasta dishes with wholemeal products to refine the players' diets. Tactically, Weigl was frequently utilized by Tuchel behind two [central midfielders](/wiki/Central_midfielder "Central midfielder") in a [4–1–4–1 formation](/wiki/4%E2%80%931%E2%80%934%E2%80%931_formation "4–1–4–1 formation"), and along with the other two midfielders, he would work the ball until Dortmund could force an overload in space out wide, attacking with rapidity from there. Tuchel also utilized a [4–2–3–1 formation](/wiki/4%E2%80%932%E2%80%933%E2%80%931 "4–2–3–1") at Dortmund; players like [Shinji Kagawa](/wiki/Shinji_Kagawa "Shinji Kagawa"), [Henrikh Mkhitaryan](/wiki/Henrikh_Mkhitaryan "Henrikh Mkhitaryan"), and the deep\-dropping [Pierre\-Emerick Aubameyang](/wiki/Pierre-Emerick_Aubameyang "Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang") would make overloads in pockets of space in\-between the lines. Weigl would sit back in front of the defence, while the other central midfielder (often [İlkay Gündoğan](/wiki/%C4%B0lkay_G%C3%BCndo%C4%9Fan "İlkay Gündoğan") when fit) pushed up forward.

Although unbeaten in his first fourteen matches at Borussia Dortmund, Tuchel and his team ended trophyless in the [2015–16 season](/wiki/2015%E2%80%9316_Borussia_Dortmund_season "2015–16 Borussia Dortmund season"), despite an appearance in the [2016 DFB\-Pokal final](/wiki/2016_DFB-Pokal_Final "2016 DFB-Pokal Final"), in which they lost to Bayern Munich on penalties. The team also suffered elimination at the quarter\-final stage of the [UEFA Europa League](/wiki/2015%E2%80%9316_UEFA_Europa_League "2015–16 UEFA Europa League") at the hands of [Liverpool](/wiki/Liverpool_F.C. "Liverpool F.C."), who were now coached by Klopp. However, the campaign was notable for further promotions of youth talent, with American teenager [Christian Pulisic](/wiki/Christian_Pulisic "Christian Pulisic") largely starring during the latter stages of the season. Dortmund scored 82 goals in the [2015–16 Bundesliga](/wiki/2015%E2%80%9316_Bundesliga "2015–16 Bundesliga"), a club record, and the team's average league possession of 61% and an average pass accuracy of 85% were significant improvements from the team's counterpressing days with Klopp. Their point total of 78 was also the second highest in club history, and would have secured a league title in all but three of the previous 52 seasons. Dortmund finished second in the Bundesliga, securing [UEFA Champions League](/wiki/UEFA_Champions_League "UEFA Champions League") football, however, Tuchel was criticised at the season's end for missing the club's 50th year anniversary of their [1966 European Cup Winners' Cup victory](/wiki/1966_European_Cup_Winners%27_Cup_final "1966 European Cup Winners' Cup final").

#### 2016–2017: DFB\-Pokal and departure

In preparation for the [following campaign](/wiki/2016%E2%80%9317_Borussia_Dortmund_season "2016–17 Borussia Dortmund season"), Dortmund spent heavily on player purchases, spending a total of €109\.75 million in the [transfer market](/wiki/Transfer_market "Transfer market"); the club was looking to find replacements for important players [Mats Hummels](/wiki/Mats_Hummels "Mats Hummels"), Gündoğan, and Mkhitaryan, who all departed that same summer. [Ousmane Dembélé](/wiki/Ousmane_Demb%C3%A9l%C3%A9 "Ousmane Dembélé"), [Marc Bartra](/wiki/Marc_Bartra "Marc Bartra"), [Emre Mor](/wiki/Emre_Mor "Emre Mor"), [Mario Götze](/wiki/Mario_G%C3%B6tze "Mario Götze") and [Raphaël Guerreiro](/wiki/Rapha%C3%ABl_Guerreiro "Raphaël Guerreiro") were notably brought in for a total sum of €64 million. Guerreiro, signed following his successful time at [UEFA Euro 2016](/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2016 "UEFA Euro 2016"), was shifted from left\-back to midfield by Tuchel. Dortmund went on to return [the final of the DFB\-Pokal](/wiki/2017_DFB-Pokal_Final "2017 DFB-Pokal Final"), where Tuchel won his first ever major honor as a coach, as well as the club's first trophy in five years, as they beat [Eintracht Frankfurt](/wiki/Eintracht_Frankfurt "Eintracht Frankfurt") 2–1, with goals from both Dembélé and Aubameyang. The team finished the season third in the Bundesliga, and was eliminated in the quarter\-finals of the Champions League by [Monaco](/wiki/AS_Monaco_FC "AS Monaco FC").

[thumb\|right\|Tuchel at a press conference in 2016](/wiki/File:Thomas_Tuchel.jpg "Thomas Tuchel.jpg")

Despite the victory, the DFB\-Pokal was to be Tuchel's only honour with the club, as he was dismissed three days later on 30 May 2017\. His tenure as first\-team coach was marred with controversy, with a strained relationship with the club's hierarchy, notably CEO [Hans\-Joachim Watzke](/wiki/Hans-Joachim_Watzke "Hans-Joachim Watzke"), who described Tuchel as a "difficult person". Tuchel publicly criticized Watzke after he agreed to UEFA's demand that the club play their Champions League quarter\-final first leg match against Monaco on 12 April 2017, one day after the [team's bus being bombed](/wiki/Borussia_Dortmund_team_bus_bombing "Borussia Dortmund team bus bombing"). In February 2020, Jan\-Henrik Gruszecki, a former ultra who became a consultant to the Dortmund board, claimed Tuchel mistakenly sent an angry text message about sporting director Michael Zorc that was meant to go to Tuchel's agent, Oliver Meinking.

Tuchel also reportedly expressed discontent over transfer activity, with Watzke sanctioning the departures of Hummels, Gündoğan, and Mkhitaryan, despite guarantees they would not leave. Tuchel also maintained fractured relations with club stalwarts [Roman Weidenfeller](/wiki/Roman_Weidenfeller "Roman Weidenfeller"), [Neven Subotić](/wiki/Neven_Suboti%C4%87 "Neven Subotić"), and [Jakub Błaszczykowski](/wiki/Jakub_B%C5%82aszczykowski "Jakub Błaszczykowski"), and aimed to replace the trio, which Watzke disagreed with. Tuchel aimed to sign defender [Ömer Toprak](/wiki/%C3%96mer_Toprak "Ömer Toprak") in 2016, a move allegedly blocked by Watzke and chief scout [Sven Mislintat](/wiki/Sven_Mislintat "Sven Mislintat"), the latter of whom was effectively banished from the training ground after an argument with Tuchel. The club also reportedly chased midfielder [Óliver Torres](/wiki/%C3%93liver_Torres "Óliver Torres") behind Tuchel's back in 2017\.

Tuchel left Dortmund with a record of 68 wins, 23 draws, and 17 defeats in 108 games, with a win percentage of 62\.96%.

### Paris Saint\-Germain

#### 2018–2019: First season in Paris, Ligue 1 title

In May 2018, Tuchel signed a two\-year contract with [Paris Saint\-Germain](/wiki/Paris_Saint-Germain_F.C. "Paris Saint-Germain F.C.") (PSG), replacing [Unai Emery](/wiki/Unai_Emery "Unai Emery"). He reportedly rejected [Bayern Munich](/wiki/Bayern_Munich "Bayern Munich") to join PSG.

Tuchel's first move in the transfer market was the permanent signing of Monaco forward [Kylian Mbappé](/wiki/Kylian_Mbapp%C3%A9 "Kylian Mbappé") for a fee of €180m on 1 July. To offset this large acquisition, and to adhere to [UEFA Financial Fair Play](/wiki/UEFA_Financial_Fair_Play_Regulations "UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations") regulations, Tuchel sanctioned the departure of several players, including first\-team players [Yuri Berchiche](/wiki/Yuri_Berchiche "Yuri Berchiche") and [Javier Pastore](/wiki/Javier_Pastore "Javier Pastore"), as well as promising youngster [Gonçalo Guedes](/wiki/Gon%C3%A7alo_Guedes "Gonçalo Guedes"). After also generating profits through the sales of other bit\-part players, the club signed free agent goalkeeper [Gianluigi Buffon](/wiki/Gianluigi_Buffon "Gianluigi Buffon") on 6 July. A month later, the team signed German defender [Thilo Kehrer](/wiki/Thilo_Kehrer "Thilo Kehrer") for €37m, and PSG concluded their activity in the summer transfer market by signing Spanish left\-back [Juan Bernat](/wiki/Juan_Bernat "Juan Bernat") for €15m on deadline day, while also reuniting Tuchel with former player Choupo\-Moting. Despite these acquisitions, Tuchel publicly lamented the club's inability to improve at both [full\-back](/wiki/Full-back_%28association_football%29 "Full-back (association football)") areas.

[thumb\|300px\|Tuchel coaches Paris Saint\-Germain in a [friendly](/wiki/Exhibition_game "Exhibition game") against [Dynamo Dresden](/wiki/Dynamo_Dresden "Dynamo Dresden") in 2019](/wiki/File:2019-07-17_SG_Dynamo_Dresden_vs._Paris_Saint-Germain_by_Sandro_Halank%E2%80%93452.jpg "2019-07-17 SG Dynamo Dresden vs. Paris Saint-Germain by Sandro Halank–452.jpg")

Tuchel's first match in charge also yielded his first honor at the club, as PSG defeated Monaco 4–0 to win the [Trophée des Champions](/wiki/Troph%C3%A9e_des_Champions "Trophée des Champions") on 4 August. He also saw victory in his first league game, as the club defeated [Caen](/wiki/Stade_Malherbe_Caen "Stade Malherbe Caen") 3–0 eight days later. After enjoying a brief unbeaten record, Tuchel suffered his first defeat in Paris on 18 September, losing 2–3 away to Liverpool in a Champions League group stage game. However, by November, Tuchel would break the record for the most wins to start to a domestic league season, as he registered twelve straight victories. The record was later extended to include two additional victories, prior to the club ending its 100% start to the season on 2 December, after PSG drew 2–2 away to [Bordeaux](/wiki/FC_Girondins_de_Bordeaux "FC Girondins de Bordeaux"). Tuchel then guided PSG to top spot in the club's Champions League group, with a 4–1 win over [Red Star Belgrade](/wiki/Red_Star_Belgrade "Red Star Belgrade") on 12 December. By securing victory over [Nantes](/wiki/FC_Nantes "FC Nantes") on 22 December, Tuchel also broke the record for most points by Christmas in Ligue 1, with 47 after 17 games.

In January 2019, Tuchel was eliminated from his first competition at PSG, falling to [Guingamp](/wiki/En_Avant_Guingamp "En Avant Guingamp") on 9 January, in the quarter\-finals of the [Coupe de la Ligue](/wiki/Coupe_de_la_Ligue "Coupe de la Ligue"). However, he would defeat the same opposition by a margin of 9–0 ten days later in the league, the biggest home win in PSG's history. Prior to deadline day, on 29 January, the club delved into the winter transfer market to sign Argentine midfielder [Leandro Paredes](/wiki/Leandro_Paredes "Leandro Paredes") for a rumored fee of €40m. However, these transfers failed to progress the club in Europe, as PSG crashed out of the Champions League in the first knockout round against [Manchester United](/wiki/Manchester_United_F.C. "Manchester United F.C."). The club secured a 2–0 victory away from home in the first leg, but lost 1–3 at home, exiting the competition on [away goals](/wiki/Away_goals_rule "Away goals rule"). With only the league and the [Coupe de France](/wiki/Coupe_de_France "Coupe de France") to play for, PSG won the former on 21 April, six gameweeks before the end of the season, marking Tuchel's first league title victory as a coach. Six days later, PSG lost the [2019 Coupe de France final](/wiki/2019_Coupe_de_France_Final "2019 Coupe de France Final") to [Rennes](/wiki/Stade_Rennais_F.C. "Stade Rennais F.C.") on penalties, which occurred after a stretch of three consecutive league defeats: this was the first time PSG lost three league games consecutively since 2012\.

#### 2019–2020: Domestic quadruple and Champions League final

After the season's end, Tuchel signed a one\-year contract extension, scheduled to end in 2021\. In his second transfer window, Tuchel strayed from recruiting stars and instead pushed for the recruitment of hardworking Spanish midfielders [Ander Herrera](/wiki/Ander_Herrera "Ander Herrera") and [Pablo Sarabia](/wiki/Pablo_Sarabia "Pablo Sarabia"), as well as youth prospect [Mitchel Bakker](/wiki/Mitchel_Bakker "Mitchel Bakker"). Meanwhile, the club let go of strong personalities in Buffon, [Dani Alves](/wiki/Dani_Alves "Dani Alves"), and [Adrien Rabiot](/wiki/Adrien_Rabiot "Adrien Rabiot"), and profited from the sales of several fringe players, including [Moussa Diaby](/wiki/Moussa_Diaby "Moussa Diaby"), [Timothy Weah](/wiki/Timothy_Weah "Timothy Weah"), and [Grzegorz Krychowiak](/wiki/Grzegorz_Krychowiak "Grzegorz Krychowiak"). Additionally, the club signed central defender [Abdou Diallo](/wiki/Abdou_Diallo "Abdou Diallo") from Tuchel's former club Borussia Dortmund, combative midfielder [Idrissa Gueye](/wiki/Idrissa_Gueye "Idrissa Gueye"), and completed the transfer of goalkeeper [Keylor Navas](/wiki/Keylor_Navas "Keylor Navas"), as well as a loan move for forward [Mauro Icardi](/wiki/Mauro_Icardi "Mauro Icardi"), on deadline day. With a number of additional sales, this marked the first transfer window since PSG's takeover by [Qatar Sports Investments](/wiki/Qatar_Sports_Investments "Qatar Sports Investments") in 2012 during which the club made a profit in the transfer market.

[thumb\|175px\|left\|Tuchel with [Kylian Mbappé](/wiki/Kylian_Mbapp%C3%A9 "Kylian Mbappé"), who was a regular in Tuchel's team](/wiki/File:Tuchel_%26_Mbapp%C3%A9_PSG_2019.jpg "Tuchel & Mbappé PSG 2019.jpg")

Tuchel began his [second season](/wiki/2019%E2%80%9320_Paris_Saint-Germain_F.C._season "2019–20 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season") at PSG by retaining the Trophée des Champions on 3 August 2019, in a 2–1 win over Rennes. He also won his first league game of the season, defeating [Nîmes](/wiki/N%C3%AEmes_Olympique "Nîmes Olympique") 3–0 at home. However, PSG lost 2–1 against Rennes in the club's second league game. In the club's first game in that season's UEFA Champions League, Tuchel received praise for his tactical setup as PSG defeated thirteen\-time winners [Real Madrid](/wiki/Real_Madrid_CF "Real Madrid CF") 3–0 at home; the victory occurred without recognized first\-team players [Neymar](/wiki/Neymar "Neymar"), [Edinson Cavani](/wiki/Edinson_Cavani "Edinson Cavani"), and Mbappé. He later guided the team to qualification to the first [knockout stage](/wiki/2019%E2%80%9320_UEFA_Champions_League%23Knockout_phase "2019–20 UEFA Champions League#Knockout phase") with two group games to spare, following a 1–0 win over Belgian club [Club Brugge](/wiki/Club_Brugge_KV "Club Brugge KV") on 6 November. Just under three weeks later, Tuchel led the club to top spot in their group after securing a 2–2 draw against Real Madrid. The club then embarked on an unbeaten run, recording a number of high\-scoring victories; PSG scored six goals against [Linas\-Montlhéry](/wiki/ESA_Linas-Montlh%C3%A9ry "ESA Linas-Montlhéry") and [Saint\-Étienne](/wiki/AS_Saint-%C3%89tienne "AS Saint-Étienne") in the domestic cup competitions in January, while they scored five against [Montpellier](/wiki/Montpellier_HSC "Montpellier HSC") in the league. Notably, the latter game contained controversy, as Tuchel was seen to be in a heated conversation with Mbappé following his substitution.

On 18 February 2020, PSG sustained a 2–1 defeat against Tuchel's former club Dortmund in the first leg in the round of 16 in the Champions League. Under a month later, Tuchel guided the club to the last eight, overturning the deficit in a 2–0 victory at home in the second leg. This was the club's first game [behind closed doors](/wiki/Behind_closed_doors_%28sport%29 "Behind closed doors (sport)") due to the [COVID\-19 pandemic](/wiki/Impact_of_the_COVID-19_pandemic_on_sports "Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports"); this was the reason the domestic league was canceled on 30 April, while their Champions League fixtures, the Coupe de France, and the Coupe de la Ligue finals were postponed. PSG returned to competitive football on 24 July, winning the Coupe de France after beating Saint\-Étienne 1–0 in the final. The game was marred by Kylian Mbappé suffering an ankle sprain, which ruled him out for three weeks. On 31 July, PSG defeated [Lyon](/wiki/Olympique_Lyonnais "Olympique Lyonnais") 6–5 on penalties in the [2020 Coupe de la Ligue final](/wiki/2020_Coupe_de_la_Ligue_Final "2020 Coupe de la Ligue Final") to complete a domestic treble. On 12 August, PSG scored two late goals to beat [Atalanta](/wiki/Atalanta_B.C. "Atalanta B.C.") 2–1 in the quarter\-finals of the Champions League, marking the club's first appearance in the semi\-finals of the competition since the [1994–95 season](/wiki/1994%E2%80%9395_UEFA_Champions_League%23Semi-finals "1994–95 UEFA Champions League#Semi-finals"). In the semi\-final, PSG defeated [RB Leipzig](/wiki/RB_Leipzig "RB Leipzig") 3–0 to reach their first ever [Champions League final](/wiki/2020_UEFA_Champions_League_final "2020 UEFA Champions League final"), and their first European final since 1997\. They would go on to lose the match by a single goal to Bayern Munich on 23 August.

#### 2020–2021: Final season in Paris

In his third transfer window, PSG released a number of players, including club stalwarts [Thiago Silva](/wiki/Thiago_Silva "Thiago Silva") and Cavani. Meanwhile, Mauro Icardi's loan was made permanent for €50 million, and the club supplemented this with the loan acquisitions of [Alessandro Florenzi](/wiki/Alessandro_Florenzi "Alessandro Florenzi"), [Danilo Pereira](/wiki/Danilo_Pereira_%28Portuguese_footballer%29 "Danilo Pereira (Portuguese footballer)"), and [Moise Kean](/wiki/Moise_Kean "Moise Kean"). PSG began their league title defence with a 1–0 defeat to newly promoted [Lens](/wiki/RC_Lens "RC Lens") away on 10 September 2020; the club were missing newly appointed captain [Marquinhos](/wiki/Marquinhos "Marquinhos"), Icardi, Neymar, Mbappé, Navas, Paredes, and [Ángel Di María](/wiki/%C3%81ngel_Di_Mar%C3%ADa "Ángel Di María") due to [COVID\-19](/wiki/COVID-19 "COVID-19") protocols or for testing positive for COVID\-19\. The club went on to lose their second league game by the same scoreline in [Le Classique](/wiki/Le_Classique "Le Classique"), marking the first time PSG lost their opening two league games since the [1984–85 season](/wiki/1984%E2%80%9385_Paris_Saint-Germain_F.C._season "1984–85 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season"). The game became infamous for its disciplinary issues, with 17 cards shown (the most in a single Ligue 1 game in the 21st century), while five were sent off following an injury\-time brawl.

Tuchel secured the club's first win of the league season by defeating [Metz](/wiki/FC_Metz "FC Metz") 1–0 on 16 September, although the game was marred by another red card to PSG. This began a streak of 8 straight wins, before succumbing to a 3–2 away defeat to Monaco on 20 November; another game where PSG saw a red card. After only managing to secure 3 more league wins, and with PSG third in Ligue 1, behind Lyon and eventual winners Lille, Tuchel was dismissed on 24 December, despite placing top of their Champions League group. His dismissal occurred a day after beating [Strasbourg](/wiki/RC_Strasbourg_Alsace "RC Strasbourg Alsace") 4–0, surprising many at the club, including assistant coach [Zsolt Lőw](/wiki/Zsolt_L%C5%91w "Zsolt Lőw").

Tuchel's tenure at Paris Saint\-Germain was marred by a fractured relationship with the club's hierarchy. In an interview with German television station [Sport 1](/wiki/Sport1_%28Germany%29 "Sport1 (Germany)"), he said he felt "\[more like] a politician in sport" than a coach. These comments, as well as his previous criticism over the club's transfer activity, were condemned by PSG's sporting director [Leonardo](/wiki/Leonardo_Ara%C3%BAjo "Leonardo Araújo"), who said Tuchel "\[must] respect the people above \[him]", and labelled the comments as damaging for the club. Tuchel and Leonardo reportedly fell out over Leonardo's desire to influence team selection and training regime; the signing of [defensive midfielder](/wiki/Defensive_midfielder "Defensive midfielder") Danilo Pereira reportedly proved contentious as Tuchel requested a central defender: in response, Tuchel fielded Pereira as a central defender.

Tuchel departed Paris Saint\-Germain with a record of 95 wins, 13 draws, and 19 defeats in 127 games, with the best win percentage in Ligue 1 history (75\.6%) and the highest average of points per game (2\.37, tied with his predecessor Emery). Before leaving Paris, Tuchel facilitated the medical expenses for his housemaid's child's heart surgery and helped her return home to the Philippines by purchasing her family a property in the country.

### Chelsea

On 26 January 2021, Tuchel signed an 18\-month contract (with the option for an additional year) with [Premier League](/wiki/Premier_League "Premier League") club [Chelsea](/wiki/Chelsea_F.C. "Chelsea F.C."), replacing [Frank Lampard](/wiki/Frank_Lampard "Frank Lampard"). He became the first German to be appointed as head coach of the club. Although expressing a desire to not come in mid\-season so as to have a [pre\-season](/wiki/Season_%28sports%29%23Preseason "Season (sports)#Preseason") with his new team, Tuchel accepted the position after [Ralf Rangnick](/wiki/Ralf_Rangnick "Ralf Rangnick") rejected the proposal of [interim head coach](/wiki/Caretaker_manager "Caretaker manager"). Tuchel previously interviewed to become Chelsea coach in June 2016, with the club eventually appointing [Antonio Conte](/wiki/Antonio_Conte "Antonio Conte").

#### 2020–21: Back\-to\-back European finals and Champions League title

[thumb\|left\|200px\|Tuchel with [Chelsea](/wiki/Chelsea_F.C. "Chelsea F.C.") in 2021](/wiki/File:Thomas_Tuchel_Chelsea.jpg "Thomas Tuchel Chelsea.jpg")

Tuchel took charge of his first match the following day, a goalless draw at home against [Wolverhampton Wanderers](/wiki/Wolverhampton_Wanderers_F.C. "Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C."), a match that set the record for most possession (78\.9%) and passes completed (820\) for a manager's first Premier League game. Tuchel won his first game on 31 January, defeating [Burnley](/wiki/Burnley_F.C. "Burnley F.C.") 2–0 at home, and then won his first [London derby](/wiki/Chelsea_F.C.%E2%80%93Tottenham_Hotspur_F.C._rivalry "Chelsea F.C.–Tottenham Hotspur F.C. rivalry") (and his first away game) by defeating [Tottenham Hotspur](/wiki/Tottenham_Hotspur_F.C. "Tottenham Hotspur F.C.") 1–0 on 4 February. On 11 February, Tuchel guided Chelsea to the quarter\-finals of the [FA Cup](/wiki/FA_Cup "FA Cup") with a 1–0 away win over [EFL Championship](/wiki/EFL_Championship "EFL Championship") side [Barnsley](/wiki/Barnsley_F.C. "Barnsley F.C."), extending his unbeaten run to five games. This run was eventually extended to eight games after Chelsea defeated [Atlético Madrid](/wiki/Atl%C3%A9tico_Madrid "Atlético Madrid") 1–0 away in the first leg of the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League, with [Olivier Giroud](/wiki/Olivier_Giroud "Olivier Giroud") scoring an overhead kick. This marked Tuchel's first European victory as Chelsea manager.

On 8 March, Tuchel's unbeaten run extended to eleven games after a 2–0 home league win over [Everton](/wiki/Everton_F.C. "Everton F.C."), becoming the first head coach in Premier League history to keep consecutive home clean sheets in their first five home matches. After a 2–0 home victory against Atlético Madrid in the second leg of the round of 16 in the Champions League on 17 March, Tuchel extended his unbeaten run to 13 games, setting the record for the longest unbeaten run by a new head coach in Chelsea's history. This was considered to be due to the change to a three\-man defence and partly attributed to a pragmatic approach to games; Tuchel's team took as many shots as Lampard's team per game (13\.8 v 13\.9\), but created fewer chances, leading to 1\.1 goals scored on average per game, compared to 2\.1 under Lampard. He was then awarded his first [Premier League Manager of the Month](/wiki/Premier_League_Manager_of_the_Month "Premier League Manager of the Month") in October. The unbeaten run concluded at 14 games, with a 5–2 home defeat against [West Bromwich Albion](/wiki/West_Bromwich_Albion_F.C. "West Bromwich Albion F.C.") on 3 April. During that 14\-game unbeaten run, the club conceded just two goals in 1,260 minutes.

On 17 April, courtesy of a [Hakim Ziyech](/wiki/Hakim_Ziyech "Hakim Ziyech") goal, Tuchel led Chelsea to the [FA Cup final](/wiki/2021_FA_Cup_final "2021 FA Cup final"), defeating league leaders [Manchester City](/wiki/Manchester_City_F.C. "Manchester City F.C.") 1–0 in the semi\-final; Chelsea would eventually lose the final 1–0 to [Leicester City](/wiki/Leicester_City_F.C. "Leicester City F.C."). Tuchel also guided Chelsea to the [Champions League final](/wiki/2021_UEFA_Champions_League_final "2021 UEFA Champions League final") following a 3–1 aggregate win over Real Madrid in the semi\-finals, becoming the first coach to reach consecutive finals with two different clubs. He eventually led Chelsea to European glory with a 1–0 win over Manchester City in the final. Following this, Tuchel signed a contract extension, with his new contract due to run to 2024\.

#### 2021–22: Club World champion, Ukraine sanctions, Cup finals

In his first transfer window at Chelsea to prepare for the 2021–22 season, the club signed experienced goalkeeper [Marcus Bettinelli](/wiki/Marcus_Bettinelli "Marcus Bettinelli") on a free transfer from West London rivals [Fulham](/wiki/Fulham_F.C. "Fulham F.C.") on 28 July, thus marking Tuchel's first signing as Chelsea head coach. Tuchel also began incorporating academy player [Trevoh Chalobah](/wiki/Trevoh_Chalobah "Trevoh Chalobah") into the first team, and Chelsea then later re\-signed [Romelu Lukaku](/wiki/Romelu_Lukaku "Romelu Lukaku") for a club\-record £97\.5 million (€115 million). He also signed [Saúl Ñíguez](/wiki/Sa%C3%BAl_%C3%91%C3%ADguez "Saúl Ñíguez") on a season\-long loan from Atlético Madrid (which included an option to buy for £30 million) on deadline day. Chelsea began the season with an eight\-game unbeaten streak, winning the [UEFA Super Cup](/wiki/UEFA_Super_Cup "UEFA Super Cup"), before suffering their first defeat of the season, against Manchester City, on 25 September.

On 20 October, Chelsea recorded their highest scoring victory under Tuchel, a 4–0 home victory over [Malmö](/wiki/Malm%C3%B6_FF "Malmö FF") in the Champions League; this was bettered three days later following a 7–0 win against league strugglers [Norwich City](/wiki/Norwich_City_F.C. "Norwich City F.C."). Chelsea then embarked on a 12 match unbeaten run in all competitions, which culminated in a 3–2 away loss against [West Ham United](/wiki/West_Ham_United_F.C. "West Ham United F.C.") on 4 December. A month later, Tuchel led Chelsea to the [EFL Cup final](/wiki/2022_EFL_Cup_final "2022 EFL Cup final") following a 3–0 [aggregate](/wiki/Two-legged_tie "Two-legged tie") semi\-final victory over city rivals Tottenham Hotspur; Chelsea would go on to lose the final against Liverpool on penalties. On 12 February, after a 2–1 extra time win over [Palmeiras](/wiki/Sociedade_Esportiva_Palmeiras "Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras"), Tuchel won the [FIFA Club World Cup](/wiki/2021_FIFA_Club_World_Cup_Final "2021 FIFA Club World Cup Final"), Chelsea's first Club World Cup win.

On 12 March, Chelsea F.C. was frozen as an asset of [Roman Abramovich](/wiki/Roman_Abramovich "Roman Abramovich") as part of the [war sanctions on Russian businesses](/wiki/International_sanctions_during_the_Russo-Ukrainian_War "International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War"). Tuchel, who was reluctantly the face of the club amidst off\-field turmoil, was praised by Jacob Steinberg of *The Guardian* for being "a voice of calm and reason throughout the most unsettling period in Chelsea's history." He then reaffirmed his commitment to the club, despite interest from [Manchester United](/wiki/Manchester_United "Manchester United") and [Barcelona](/wiki/Barcelona_CF "Barcelona CF"), although renewing player contracts was made difficult due to the restrictions, with the deals for [Antonio Rüdiger](/wiki/Antonio_R%C3%BCdiger "Antonio Rüdiger") and [Andreas Christensen](/wiki/Andreas_Christensen "Andreas Christensen") running out at the season's end.

After a six\-game win streak in all competitions, Chelsea lost 4–1 at home to newly promoted [Brentford](/wiki/Brentford_F.C. "Brentford F.C.") on 2 April; the club then registered their highest scoring away win under Tuchel by winning 6–0 at [Southampton](/wiki/Southampton_F.C. "Southampton F.C.") a week later. However, on 12 April, Chelsea lost 5–4 on aggregate after extra time against Real Madrid and were knocked out of the Champions League, following which, Tuchel criticized several refereeing decisions, including a disallowed goal for [Marcos Alonso](/wiki/Marcos_Alonso_%28footballer%2C_born_1990%29 "Marcos Alonso (footballer, born 1990)") and referee Szymon Marciniak's "smiling and laughing" with Real Madrid coach [Carlo Ancelotti](/wiki/Carlo_Ancelotti "Carlo Ancelotti") at the game's conclusion. Four days later, Tuchel led Chelsea to their second [successive](/wiki/2022_FA_Cup_Final "2022 FA Cup Final") FA Cup final with a 2–0 victory over [Crystal Palace](/wiki/Crystal_Palace_F.C. "Crystal Palace F.C."). However, Chelsea went on to lose to Liverpool in the [final](/wiki/2022_FA_Cup_final "2022 FA Cup final") on penalties, repeating the outcome of that year's EFL Cup final three months prior.

#### 2022–23: Dismissal from Chelsea

On 30 May 2022, Chelsea were acquired by the American consortium [BlueCo](/wiki/BlueCo "BlueCo"), and the club's previous sanctions on acquiring players were lifted. To prepare for the 2022–23 season, Tuchel and Chelsea had spent over £250 million – the highest spend in that season's Premier League and a British record for spending in one transfer window – on [Raheem Sterling](/wiki/Raheem_Sterling "Raheem Sterling"), [Kalidou Koulibaly](/wiki/Kalidou_Koulibaly "Kalidou Koulibaly"), [Gabriel Slonina](/wiki/Gabriel_Slonina "Gabriel Slonina"), [Carney Chukwuemeka](/wiki/Carney_Chukwuemeka "Carney Chukwuemeka"), [Cesare Casadei](/wiki/Cesare_Casadei "Cesare Casadei"), and Pierre\-Emerick Aubameyang, as well as near club record outlays on [Marc Cucurella](/wiki/Marc_Cucurella "Marc Cucurella") and [Wesley Fofana](/wiki/Wesley_Fofana_%28footballer%29 "Wesley Fofana (footballer)"). The club also secured the loan of [Denis Zakaria](/wiki/Denis_Zakaria "Denis Zakaria") on transfer deadline day on 31 August. Several first team players also departed, including [Antonio Rüdiger](/wiki/Antonio_R%C3%BCdiger "Antonio Rüdiger") and [Marcos Alonso](/wiki/Marcos_Alonso_%28footballer%2C_born_1990%29 "Marcos Alonso (footballer, born 1990)"), academy graduates [Andreas Christensen](/wiki/Andreas_Christensen "Andreas Christensen") and [Callum Hudson\-Odoi](/wiki/Callum_Hudson-Odoi "Callum Hudson-Odoi") (who left on loan), and former heavy money signings [Timo Werner](/wiki/Timo_Werner "Timo Werner") and Romelu Lukaku (who left on loan).

The club began their league season with a 1–0 win over Everton on 6 August 2022\. Eight days later, Tuchel was sent off following a 2–2 draw against [Tottenham Hotspur](/wiki/Tottenham_Hotspur_F.C. "Tottenham Hotspur F.C.") after an angry confrontation with [Antonio Conte](/wiki/Antonio_Conte "Antonio Conte") at the end of the match. He was fined £35,000 and given a one\-match touchline ban by the [Football Association](/wiki/The_Football_Association "The Football Association") (FA) for improper conduct. Tuchel was subsequently handed an additional £20,000 fine after comments suggesting that referee [Anthony Taylor](/wiki/Anthony_Taylor_%28referee%29 "Anthony Taylor (referee)") should no longer referee Chelsea matches after he made some controversial decisions in the Tottenham game. The FA stated that Tuchel's comments had constituted improper conduct and that they "imply bias, question the integrity of the match referee, and bring the game into disrepute". On 7 September 2022, Tuchel was dismissed as the team's manager following the club's 1–0 away loss to [Dinamo Zagreb](/wiki/GNK_Dinamo_Zagreb "GNK Dinamo Zagreb") in their opening Champions League fixture the previous day (a match attended by new Chelsea chairmen [Todd Boehly](/wiki/Todd_Boehly "Todd Boehly") and Behdad Eghbali); Chelsea also sustained league defeats against [Leeds United](/wiki/Leeds_United "Leeds United") and Southampton prior to the loss to Dinamo Zagreb.

According to *[The Athletic](/wiki/The_Athletic "The Athletic")*, Tuchel was reportedly dissatisfied over his increased involvement in Chelsea's day\-to\-day transfer activity as a result of the dismissals of club director [Marina Granovskaia](/wiki/Marina_Granovskaia "Marina Granovskaia") and technical advisor [Petr Čech](/wiki/Petr_%C4%8Cech "Petr Čech") (with whom Tuchel had a strong working relationship); Tuchel was said to have delegated his presence at recruitment meetings to his agent. Sources close to Tuchel claimed he disagreed with the club's transfer strategy and targets, such as not being involved in the loan signing of Zakaria and that he personally expressed interest in transfers for [Matthijs de Ligt](/wiki/Matthijs_de_Ligt "Matthijs de Ligt"), [Raphinha](/wiki/Raphinha "Raphinha"), [Frenkie de Jong](/wiki/Frenkie_de_Jong "Frenkie de Jong"), and [Presnel Kimpembe](/wiki/Presnel_Kimpembe "Presnel Kimpembe"). Sources connected with Chelsea claimed Tuchel was inconsistent regarding transfers, expressing both reluctance and support towards potential moves for [Gabriel Jesus](/wiki/Gabriel_Jesus "Gabriel Jesus"), [Edson Álvarez](/wiki/Edson_%C3%81lvarez "Edson Álvarez"), [Roméo Lavia](/wiki/Rom%C3%A9o_Lavia "Roméo Lavia"), and [Cristiano Ronaldo](/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo "Cristiano Ronaldo").

Boehly reportedly described Tuchel as a "nightmare" to deal with on recruitment to a Premier League executive. Tuchel had also fallen out with and isolated several first team players, such as Ziyech, Pulisic, Werner, Lukaku, and Hudson\-Odoi, from gametime; Tuchel also reportedly argued with Werner following a pre\-season defeat to [Charlotte FC](/wiki/Charlotte_FC "Charlotte FC") on 20 July. On his departure, Tuchel wrote an open letter, detailing how he had not anticipated leaving Chelsea "for many years" and saying he felt "honoured to have been a part of \[the] club's history" and that "the memories of the last 19 months \[would] always have a special place in \[his] heart". In March 2023, Tuchel revealed he suspected his dismissal on his morning commute to the training centre, and said the meeting with the ownership "turned out to be very short. It lasted three to five minutes". He reiterated his fondness for his time in England in an interview in May 2024, saying, "It is no secret I loved it at Chelsea, I loved it in England and I loved it in the Premier League. It was a very special time and I remember it very well."

Tuchel departed Chelsea with a record of 60 wins, 24 draws, and 16 defeats in 100 games with a win percentage of 60%, the fourth highest win\-rate by a Chelsea manager who managed at least 100 games, after [José Mourinho](/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Mourinho "José Mourinho") (67\.03%), Antonio Conte (65\.09%), and Carlo Ancelotti (61\.09%). Tuchel was succeeded by [Graham Potter](/wiki/Graham_Potter "Graham Potter").

### Bayern Munich

#### 2022–23: First Bundesliga title

On 24 March 2023, Tuchel was announced as head coach at [Bayern Munich](/wiki/Bayern_Munich "Bayern Munich") on a two\-year deal, replacing his former player [Julian Nagelsmann](/wiki/Julian_Nagelsmann "Julian Nagelsmann"), who was dismissed. Tuchel was presented at a club press conference the following day,, tagesschau.de, March 25, 2023 (German) where he said "the squad assembled \[here] is one of the most talented and best in Europe. We are here to win all the titles". Four days later, the club made a formal approach to Chelsea first\-team assistant coach [Anthony Barry](/wiki/Anthony_Barry_%28footballer%29 "Anthony Barry (footballer)"), who worked with Tuchel (primarily on set pieces) during his time at Chelsea. Barry joined just under one month later. Tuchel's first game in charge was a 4–2 home win against his old club Borussia Dortmund on 1 April. In his second game, Bayern were knocked out in the quarter\-finals of DFB\-Pokal, on 4 April, after losing 2–1 at home to [SC Freiburg](/wiki/SC_Freiburg "SC Freiburg"). Bayern were also eliminated in the quarter\-finals of the Champions League later that month, losing 4–1 to Manchester City on aggregate.

Despite accumulating five wins from his first eight Bundesliga matches, Bayern lost 3–1 at home to RB Leipzig on 20 May, dropping to second place below Dortmund, with one match remaining in the season. On the final matchday, Dortmund fell to a 2–2 draw at home to Mainz 05, while Bayern won 2–1 away to [FC Köln](/wiki/1._FC_K%C3%B6ln "1. FC Köln") thanks to a late [Jamal Musiala](/wiki/Jamal_Musiala "Jamal Musiala") winning goal: these results secured an 11th consecutive Bundesliga title for Bayern, and Tuchel's third league title in his career. At the season's end, Bayern dismissed [Oliver Kahn](/wiki/Oliver_Kahn "Oliver Kahn") as CEO and [Hasan Salihamidžić](/wiki/Hasan_Salihamid%C5%BEi%C4%87 "Hasan Salihamidžić") as [sporting director](/wiki/Sporting_director "Sporting director"): the pair had recruited Tuchel two months prior. In advance of Tuchel's first full season, Bayern recruited defender [Kim Min\-jae](/wiki/Kim_Min-jae_%28footballer%29 "Kim Min-jae (footballer)") for a reported €50 million and broke the Bundesliga transfer record by signing [Harry Kane](/wiki/Harry_Kane "Harry Kane") for €100 million, which was also supplemented by the arrival of backup goalkeeper [Daniel Peretz](/wiki/Daniel_Peretz "Daniel Peretz").

#### 2023–24: Departure

Bayern lost in 3–0 to RB Leipzig in the [2023 DFL\-Supercup](/wiki/2023_DFL-Supercup "2023 DFL-Supercup") on 12 August but began a strong start to the Bundesliga season (which included one defeat in their first sixteen matches), albeit, they were eliminated from the [DFB\-Pokal](/wiki/2023%E2%80%9324_DFB-Pokal "2023–24 DFB-Pokal") in an upset on 1 November against [1\. FC Saarbrücken](/wiki/1._FC_Saarbr%C3%BCcken "1. FC Saarbrücken"). The team also topped their Champions League group. However, consecutive league defeats to Bayer Leverkusen and [VfL Bochum](/wiki/VfL_Bochum "VfL Bochum") in February 2024 left them eight points behind Leverkusen by matchweek 22\. Bayern were beaten 1–0 by Lazio in the first leg of their Champions League last\-16 tie on 14 February, despite enlisting mid\-season squad reinforcements in the form of [Eric Dier](/wiki/Eric_Dier "Eric Dier") on loan and [Sacha Boey](/wiki/Sacha_Boey "Sacha Boey") for €30 million. This defeat marked Tuchel's tenth in his 43 games, which was as many defeats as Nagelsmann accumulated in his first 84 games. One week later, it was announced Tuchel would mutually depart at the end of the 2023–24 season as part of a "sporting realignment".

Bayern recovered in the second leg on 5 March, defeating Lazio 3–0 to advance to the Champions League quarter\-finals. In their next two league games, Bayern scored 13 goals (including recording an 8–1 victory against Tuchel's former club Mainz) but defeats to [rivals](/wiki/Der_Klassiker "Der Klassiker") [Borussia Dortmund](/wiki/Borussia_Dortmund "Borussia Dortmund") (Dortmund's first win at the Allianz Arena since 2014\) on 30 March and [Heidenheim](/wiki/1._FC_Heidenheim "1. FC Heidenheim") on 6 April (and Leverkusen's victory against [Werder Bremen](/wiki/Werder_Bremen "Werder Bremen") the following week) confirmed Bayern would be unable to win the Bundesliga, their first season without doing so in 11 years. However, the club progressed to the [semi\-finals of the Champions League](/wiki/2023%E2%80%9324_UEFA_Champions_League_knockout_phase "2023–24 UEFA Champions League knockout phase") (the club's first semi\-final appearance since 2020\) after defeating [Arsenal](/wiki/Arsenal_F.C. "Arsenal F.C.") 3–2 on aggregate on 17 April, with Tuchel receiving praise for implementing a flexible, defensive structure in the midfield and wide areas to disrupt Arsenal's build\-up play. He also became the first German coach to reach that stage with three different clubs.

One week later, after [Ralf Rangnick](/wiki/Ralf_Rangnick "Ralf Rangnick") confirmed talks to take over as Bayern head coach, club supporters petitioned to retain Tuchel; the petition amassed over 10,000 signatures. A day later, Tuchel reiterated his departure, stating, "\[The petition] is not allowed to be a priority as \[I am focused] on football, nothing else. I \[can't] allow myself to be influenced by it". Bayern were then eliminated from the Champions League in a 2–1 defeat to [Real Madrid](/wiki/Real_Madrid_CF "Real Madrid CF") on 8 May after assistant referee Tomasz Listkiewicz controversially ruled offside on an equaliser from [Matthijs de Ligt](/wiki/Matthijs_de_Ligt "Matthijs de Ligt"), with the decision then not checked by [video assistant referee](/wiki/Video_assistant_referee "Video assistant referee") (VAR). Tuchel labelled it as "against the rules" and "disastrous" and said it "felt like a betrayal", while de Ligt said that Listkiewicz conceded the decision was made in error. After a 2–0 victory against Wolfsburg four days later, Tuchel's final Bayern game was a 4–2 defeat against Hoffenheim on 18 May: the defeat saw Bayern finish third, their worst league finishing since 2010\.

According to *The Athletic*, Tuchel's departure was influenced by several factors: he was reportedly unable to strike up a bond with a majority of players after "implicitly questioning their credentials" on several occasions. There was criticism for his pragmatic style of play (such as his instruction to fullbacks Raphaël Guerreiro and [Noussair Mazraoui](/wiki/Noussair_Mazraoui "Noussair Mazraoui") to remain deep and forwards [Leroy Sané](/wiki/Leroy_San%C3%A9 "Leroy Sané") and Musiala to stay wide) to prevent counter attacks after conceding in the first leg of their Champions League knockout tie against Lazio. Tuchel also broke up the previous season's midfield partnership of [Joshua Kimmich](/wiki/Joshua_Kimmich "Joshua Kimmich") and [Leon Goretzka](/wiki/Leon_Goretzka "Leon Goretzka") reportedly on the basis of a lack of defensive balance and wanted to recruit a specialist holding midfielder: a deal to sign [João Palhinha](/wiki/Jo%C3%A3o_Palhinha "João Palhinha") collapsed on deadline day. This was also reportedly Tuchel's reasoning for signing Dier, who began to play ahead of de Ligt, while figures at the club noted Tuchel's "disregard for team hierarchy and the status of leaders within the team". Tuchel was also criticized by media outlets for his tactical decisions, who said his style of play was "predicated on individualism" instead of representing a collective effort.

Tuchel rebuked some of the claims in an interview on 23 February, stating he does not think he is "the only problem" at Bayern and believes the "clarity \[about the announcement of his departure] brings freedom". Reports also emerged detailing that Tuchel felt his cautious tactical approach to games was "because he felt he had to, not because he wanted to", with attempts to sideline or sell Goretzka or Kimmich being blocked by the club. Tuchel was also reportedly further limited in his influence on squad composition as, despite being on a joint "transfer committee" featuring former board members [Uli Hoeneß](/wiki/Uli_Hoene%C3%9F "Uli Hoeneß") and [Karl\-Heinz Rummenigge](/wiki/Karl-Heinz_Rummenigge "Karl-Heinz Rummenigge"), most of Tuchel's desired targets were not signed. In an April 2024 interview with *[FAZ](/wiki/Frankfurter_Allgemeine_Zeitung "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung")*, Hoeneß accused Tuchel of failing to improve the club’s young players and always demanding new signings: in response, Tuchel told [Sky Deutschland](/wiki/Sky_Deutschland "Sky Deutschland") that his "honour as a coach" had been insulted, and later remarked that people in football are "critical with each other" in Germany and that criticism is "very hard to escape".

### England

On 16 October 2024, Tuchel was announced as head coach of the [England national team](/wiki/England_national_football_team "England national football team"), with his appointment to take place on 1 January 2025; Tuchel signed his 18\-month contract eight days prior. His backroom team is expected to consist of his own and existing [FA](/wiki/Football_Association "Football Association") staff (including his former Chelsea and Bayern Munich assistant coach [Anthony Barry](/wiki/Anthony_Barry_%28footballer%29 "Anthony Barry (footballer)")) and his contract stipulates a financial bonus for winning the [FIFA World Cup](/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup "FIFA World Cup"). Tuchel is the first German and third foreign head coach of England, after [Sven\-Goran Eriksson](/wiki/Sven-Goran_Eriksson "Sven-Goran Eriksson") and [Fabio Capello](/wiki/Fabio_Capello "Fabio Capello"). Speaking on his appointment, Tuchel stated, "I have long felt a personal connection to the game in \[England] and to have the chance to represent \[the national team] is a huge privilege", while FA chief executive Mark Bullingham called Tuchel "one of the best coaches in the world".

According to *[The Athletic](/wiki/The_Athletic "The Athletic")*, Tuchel was approached by [Manchester United](/wiki/Manchester_United_F.C. "Manchester United F.C.") in July 2024 to replace [Erik ten Hag](/wiki/Erik_ten_Hag "Erik ten Hag"), with talks reaching financial terms before United abandoned the pursuit, reportedly due to Tuchel's acrimonous departures from his previous clubs; Tuchel was also considered as club manager after [Ralf Rangnick](/wiki/Ralf_Rangnick "Ralf Rangnick")'s departure in 2022\. England reportedly discussed appointing [Pep Guardiola](/wiki/Pep_Guardiola "Pep Guardiola"), [Graham Potter](/wiki/Graham_Potter "Graham Potter"), [Eddie Howe](/wiki/Eddie_Howe "Eddie Howe") and promoting [Lee Carsley](/wiki/Lee_Carsley "Lee Carsley") before opting for Tuchel, who Bullingham called their "preferred" candidate and revealed that the FA first approached Tuchel in August 2024\.


Who is Hoeneß and how did he respond to Tuchel?