MUNICH –
MUNICH ( Associated Press) — New Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel acknowledged Saturday that he will face a huge challenge from Day One after making a surprising move to replace Julian Nagelsmann.
Without a break, Tuchel will undergo grueling matches, the first against Borussia Dortmund, his direct title for the title, on April 1. Tuchel previously managed Tremona.
“I couldn’t have had a bigger challenge,” he said.
Ten days later, Bayern will meet Manchester City in the Champions League quarterfinals.
Tuchel will have little time to rest or rehearse new skills as many Bayern players will face the national team before the seven-game shootout on April 22.
“I was simple in our first interview (with Bayern). In the first 30 seconds I didn’t know what was going on or what it was,” Tuchel admitted.
After it became clear that Bayern wanted to take him immediately, “I realized that he was directly against Dortmund and with the rest of the internationals in front.”
Tuchel describes the Bayern-Dortmund match as the biggest match in German football.
He also admitted that his arrival was surprising and that he had no company before Tuesday. He thought his next job would be outside of Germany, but a season at Bayern soon followed.
Tuchel has not played in Germany since 2017. His only trophy in the country was the German Cup with Dortmund. Now he returns with two league titles, with Paris Saint-Germain, and the Champions League and Club World Cup with Chelsea.
Bayern remains on track to win three titles this season: Bundesliga, Cup and Champions League.
Executive director Oliver Kahn was concerned about the team’s consistency and confirmed that this was one of the reasons for Nagelsmann’s firing.
Bayern will certainly be looking for Tuchel to get the best out of stars like Leroy Sané and Serge Gnabry, who has been in decline this season. So did Sadio Mané, who saw a few lights out from Liverpool this season with an injured cruciate ligament.
“The club’s DNA is commitment,” Tuchel said. “You have to win at Bayern, but you also have to form material. The team is one of the most talented and the best in Europe. With this formula you can play with any title. It is also great. “
