In normal times, Thomas Tuchel’s public enthusiasm for Spanish football would have remained a side note. But nothing has been normal in the coaching business since Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool FC and Xavi Hernández at FC Barcelona announced their resignations at the end of the season within 36 hours.
The imminent appointment of two of the most coveted coaching chairs in European football is already causing wild speculation and will have a domino effect on other clubs.
Right in the middle of this quake are coaches from Germany like Tuchel, Julian Nagelsmann, Hansi Flick and Xabi Alonso. Even a scenario in which all four top coaches have new jobs from the summer is not unrealistic.
Who goes to Barcelona?
According to media reports, Bayer Leverkusen’s successful coach Alonso is said to be a top candidate to succeed Klopp at the Reds, for whom he once celebrated great success as a player. National coach Nagelsmann also has outsider chances. As a former professional from arch-rival Real Madrid, a move to Barça is probably out of the question for Alonso, at least for now.
Flick’s past as a player wouldn’t be a problem, but the language barrier would be more of a problem. Nevertheless, the “Bild” brings him into conversation as a candidate for the Spanish champions; Barça President Joan Laporta in particular would allegedly value the ex-national coach very much.
But the competition is fierce: Apparently there are two coaches on the list in Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique who have already led the club to Champions League victories. Luis Enrique, currently on course for the title with Paris Saint-Germain in the French league, said: “I have nothing to say on the subject.”
Nagelsmann has to deliver
The situation at Nagelsmann is tricky. When he took over as national coach until the home European Championships at the end of September, the market for ambitious football teachers like him was still different. The 36-year-old has also lost his reputation due to the DFB team’s recent disappointing performances, but a successful European Championship in June and July could change that again. Possibly too late for Liverpool and Barcelona.
On the other hand, Nagelsmann has to live with a shadow national coach from now on. Many fans want Klopp after his planned sabbatical year with the national team. “I think he needs a job where he can do something he hasn’t done before,” said ex-national player Dietmar Hamann to the TV channel Sky and brought up the Brazilian national team as well as the German one.
Dorival Júnior recently took over from the Seleção, which is also in crisis, because the actual top candidate Carlo Ancelotti preferred to extend his contract with Real Madrid until 2026. However, insiders assume that the Italian will vacate the royal coaching chair as early as 2025 – for Klopp? There is wild speculation, and the fact that well-known international coaches such as Zinédine Zidane, Antonio Conte and José Mourinho are currently looking for a job makes the situation even more confusing.
Tuchel raves about foreign countries
Every word is put on the gold scales – Tuchel had to experience that again. Because the Bayern coach spoke generally during a visit to the fan club last Sunday that he would “definitely be interested in going abroad again” and he praised the Spanish top league as “extraordinary” and the treatment of Spanish players as beneficial, that shouted Critics immediately came to the fore.
Hamann called the statements “an impudence,” which in turn prompted Bayern to make a public statement: They would no longer accept the unobjective statements directed against the coach.
However, the timing of the Tuchel crush, one day after Xavi announced his retirement from Barcelona, was unfortunate to say the least. CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen emphasized that he had no problem with that. But if the season ends without a title for the Munich team, Tuchel’s time at Bayern will probably be over. The name Alonso has been floating around Säbener Strasse for months; the profile of the ex-Bayern professional would suit the record champions very well.
But in England, not only Liverpool FC could lure the Spaniard, Arsenal FC also has to prepare for a possible departure of its coach Mikel Arteta. The Spanish newspaper “Sport” reported that the 41-year-old was considering leaving the Gunners at the end of the season despite his contract running until 2025. Arteta is said to be a candidate for his boyhood club Barça.
