New Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel has confessed he is planning to pillage the coaching ranks of his former club, Chelsea.
The German tactician was announced as a surprise successor to Julian Nagelsmann on Friday after the 35-year-old was unexpectedly relieved of his duties.
Nagelsmann retained Bayern’s Bundesliga title during his maiden campaign in 2021/22 and had overseen a perfect Champions League record this term, with eight wins on the bounce, including a 3-0 aggregate triumph over PSG to set up a quarter-final date with Man City.
However, with the club currently second in the Bundesliga, a point behind Borussia Dortmund, and talk of conflicting interests between hierarchy and manager, Nagelsmann has ultimately been led to the chopping block and unceremoniously cast aside for Tuchel.
The ex-Chelsea boss has been drafted in to quash threats to Bayern’s domestic throne from another of his former clubs in Dortmund and continue Nagelsmann’s flawless work in Europe. He also returns to management for the first time since leaving Chelsea at the start of the season.
The Blues decided to twist on Tuchel following a concerning start to 2022/23, paying a king’s ransom to bring Graham Potter to Stamford Bridge. And the German is now looking to bite the hand that once fed him by appointing the club’s current coach Anthony Barry.
Speaking at his first official press conference as Bayern Munich manager, Tuchel said: “My coaching staff wasn’t prepared either, so a big thank you to their families for their flexibility. Arno Michels and Zsolt Low, who have been working with me for over ten years, will be there. We’re hoping to add Anthony Barry, who is currently at Chelsea.”
Tuchel and Barry worked alongside each other at Cobham during the German’s two-year reign, having been initially brought to the club by Frank Lampard. Barry, 36, is a former midfielder, having had spells with Accrington Stanley, Yeovil, Wrexham and Fleetwood Town among others.
He moved into coaching as Paul Cook’s assistant at Wigan Athletic, which he combined with his work as part of Stephen Kenny’s set-up for the Republic of Ireland. From there he moved to Chelsea and combined his club coaching while also being a part of Roberto Martinez’s Belgium coaching team. He has since followed the Spaniard to the Portugal national set-up.