The favourites to replace Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich

• Manager Thomas Tuchel is set to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season
• The German has agreed to cut his time at Bayern short after 44 matches in charge
• Xabi Alonso is the bookmakers’ favourite to lead the Bavarians next season

Who are the favourites to replace Tuchel at Bayern Munich? Manager Thomas Tuchel is set to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season after “an open good, good conversation” between him and the club’s CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen.

Tuchel, who has also managed Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Chelsea, succeeded Julian Nagelsmann as coach of Bayern in March 2023. He then led the Bavarians to triumph in the Bundesliga two months later.

Despite starting the 2023-24 campaign well, Bayern have lost several games that have hurt them and left fans questioning Tuchel’s future at Allianz Arena. The defending Bundesliga champions are second on the standings, eight points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who thumped them 3-0 earlier this month. They were knocked out of the German Cup by third-division side Saarbrücken in the second round.

Thomas Tuchel will leave Bayern Munich at the end of this season. Photo/ Bavarian Football Works.

Bayern are looking forward to progress to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League despite losing to Lazio 1-0 in the first round of the round of 16. As Bayern are aiming “to achieve a sporting realignment with a new coach for the 2024/25 season”, here are the managers likely to take over from Thomas Tuchel.

1. Xabi Alonso 

Xabi Alonso is the man who has been giving Bayern Munich and their fans sleepless nights in the Bundesliga this season. Under his management, Bayer Leverkusen are currently on top of the Bundesliga table and are yet to lose a single the match this season across all competitions.

According to Mirror, Alonso is one of the favourites to replace Tuchel at Bayern come the end of this campaign. The former midfielder, who is best known for his time with Real Madrid, also played for Bayern Munich and made over 100 appearances.

Xabi Alonso. Photo/ Eurosport.

There’s an implied chance of 25% that Alonso will return to Bayern as a manager this summer. He is also the leading favourite to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool at the end of this season and the decision on his future will soon be made by him. At the moment, his focus is on guiding Leverkusen to triumph at the end of this campaign.

2. Jose Mourinho 

Could Tuchel’s departure be an opportunity for the Special One to finally manage a German club? Bundesliga is the only “top-five” league that Jose Mourinho hasn’t coached in his illustrious career. The Portuguese manager has coached top teams such as Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Manchester United, Porto, Tottenham Hotspur and most recently Roma.

He is currently without a club and is arguably one of the top favourites to replace Tuchel at Bayern. Mourinho has previously been linked with the Bavarians and was willing to join them in 2021 but the club felt he wasn’t the right man.

Prior to the reports that Tuchel that will leave Bayern at the end of this season, Bild revealed that Mourinho had emerged as a serious candidate for the job. The German outlet claimed that Mourinho had already started taking German lessons as he’s interested in completing a move to the Bundesliga. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him at Bayern this summer.

3. Jurgen Klopp 

Jurgen Klopp announced that he will be leaving Liverpool at the end of this season. In a video shared by Liverpool in their various social media pages, Klopp said that he is “running out of energy”.

But the Mirror is ranking the German as one of the favourites to replace Tuchel at Bayern. According to the outlet, Klopp might fall to the temptation of managing the biggest club in his country despite expressing the desire to take a break from coaching. Klopp is best known for his time in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund.

Jurgen Klopp previously coached Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund. Photo/ 90Min.com.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, Bayern Munich have plenty of choices to choose when it comes to the person who will be managing the club next season. While Xabi Alonso is seen as the clear favourite by most outlets, Jose Mourinho and current Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp could also takeover from Tuchel. Other managers who could soon be in Bayern’s list are Zinedine Zidane and Antonio Conte.