The unexpected choice by Bayern Munich to replace Julian Nagelsmann with Thomas Tuchel was taken with their upcoming Saturday opponent, Borussia Dortmund, in mind.
Former Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel makes his managerial debut in the Bayern dugout as Dortmund travels to Munich one point ahead of Bayern.
To repeat they're astonishing triumph from 2019–20, Bayern fired the shot in the middle of the current campaign.
Hansi Flick led Bayern to a spectacular treble while playing some of the most thrilling football in the club's history when he was called in to replace Niko Kovac with the team still engaged in three frontal battles.
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"It's Unfortunate," –
Following in the footsteps of his predecessor Jurgen Klopp, Tuchel established himself as a top-tier coach at Dortmund after punching above his weight at Mainz.
Tuchel made an early impact at Dortmund, just like at Chelsea, where he led a sputtering team to a Champions League final victory just four months after taking over.
Tuchel helped Dortmund challenge Pep Guardiola-led Bayern in 2015–16 by winning his first five games. Dortmund finished the season with 78 points, the highest point total for a team in second place.
Dortmund played entertaining, expansive football under Tuchel while maintaining a solid defence.
Tuchel was Dortmund's best coach in the post-Klopp period, but his sour disposition and propensity for tussling with club executives led to his dismissal.
Both the breakup and its bitterness were made public.
Tuchel, who had just joined Twitter hours previously, posted three days after leading Dortmund to victory in the 2016–17 German Cup final, "it's a shame it won't go any further."
The club officially disclosed the worst-kept footballing secret in Germany only 30 minutes later. With immediate effect, the club would fire Tuchel.
After his dismissal, rumours spread that Tuchel had disagreements with club executives and complained about player sales and recruitment, upsetting the well-designed structure that supports German clubs.
There is no denying Tuchel's coaching abilities, even though little is known about his Dortmund departure beyond Hans-Joachim Watzke's rapid "welcome back to the Bundesliga, Thomas" statement following his Bayern appointment.
"Not Competing Against Tuchel"
Nagelsmann joined Bayern for a transfer price of 25 million euros, promising to "start a new era" there. It was a rare long-term appointment at a team with a history of short managerial positions.
Despite holding a five-year contract, Nagelsmann was fired less than two years later because club executives believed the 35-year-old needed fit.
On Tuesday, Sebastian Kehl, the sporting director at Dortmund, told German media that he didn't think the appointment would make much of a difference and that "it's not a game against Thomas Tuchel."
He added, "I'm curious whether Bayern will do better on Saturday with Thomas Tuchel than with Julian Nagelsmann.
In football, changing coaches is familiar.
Bayern hopes that Tuchel's track record of having an early impact will hold in the Bavarian capital, starting with a victory against adversaries and a rise to the top of the Bundesliga. Bayern is vying for their 11th consecutive Bundesliga title.
