In the eye of the Munich football storm, Thomas Tuchel is busy trying to act as a calming influence despite the debates about playful titles, boss Kahn, full stars and a real Bayern crisis. Before his special return to Mainz on Saturday (3:30 p.m. / Sky) and the teacher-student duel with his former FSV player Bo Svensson, the coach amazed with his very own inside view of FC Bayern.
“I feel a calm, focused atmosphere here, positive energy and I probably feel the famous calm in the center of the storm,” said Tuchel on Friday. In his opinion, the topics outside of this are “a bit over the top”.
The cooperation with CEO Oliver Kahn and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic is also “quiet”, assured Tuchel. It is “goal-oriented, solution-oriented and in a positive mood. Olli and Brazzo have shaped this club as players. They have the will to win in them.”
“We’re fighting for the title”
Tuchel wants to see this from his team in the last six league games in the tight title race with Borussia Dortmund – and consistently. “We’re fighting for the title. We don’t have to be ashamed of the championship title,” said the 49-year-old about the alleged championship consolation prize. Tuchel has no doubts about the quality or the mentality of the Munich stars. He doesn’t think they’re “too full” after ten championship titles in a row in the Bundesliga. As a coach, he is currently diagnosing an insecurity on the pitch that “is a bit paralyzing”. About the shot on goal. The strikers don’t score anymore.
The crisis talk annoys Tuchel. He urges more “sense of reality” in the assessment. “I can absolutely understand that three years without a semi-final in the DFB Cup is not enough.” But three years of Champions League quarter-finals is by no means a downfall. “We shouldn’t forget who we’re up against in Europe. I don’t think it’s appropriate to treat a quarter-final elimination as a crisis in general.” Even if you always want more, he most of all.
Pavard is missing in Mainz
Bayern boss Kahn, who has become the center of the Munich storm, still wants to “turn every stone” internally in order to then return to the top of Europe. The 53-year-old, who is being questioned as CEO, is combative. “I’m not wasting a second at the moment worrying about my contract, it’s always about FC Bayern,” he told the “Bild” newspaper. Kahn’s five-year contract expires in December 2024.
First of all, Bayern will go to Mainz without the suspended Benjamin Pavard, where Tuchel will probably start again from the start with Thomas Müller, whom he put on the bench twice against Man City. Müller reacted in an exemplary manner to this decision, which was tactically justified by Tuchel but he himself called “extremely tough”, in training. “I’m a big Thomas Müller fan myself,” assured Tuchel on Friday.
He also praised his ex-club and especially the people there, sporting director Christian Heidel and coach Svensson. The latter was a player under Tuchel in his five years in the Mainz Bundesliga (2009 to 2014). “Even as a player he thought like a coach. I’m very happy for him. He’s a fantastic person, he’s in absolutely the right place,” said Tuchel.
“You are surfing a wave”
Mainz have been unbeaten in nine games under Denmark’s Svenson (43) and are third in the second half of the table. “You surf on a wave,” said Tuchel. “The core that defines Mainz 05 has been found. They make the most of the role of the underdog again.” After a short artistic break, he added: “Enough praise, we still want to win.” Otherwise it will be restless for Tuchel in the eye of the storm.
And what does the student Svensson say, challenging his teacher and foster father? “It’s very special to play against Thomas.” Above all, Svensson wants to do a much better job against Tuchel-Bayern in the third attempt of the season than in Mainz 2: 6 (Bundesliga) and 0: 4 (DFB Cup) against Bayern Munich, who were still coached by Julian Nagelsmann.
