Bayern Munich supporters have petitioned the club to retain Thomas Tuchel as their head coach for next season, saying other candidates “don’t hold a candle” to the 50-year-old.
A change.org petition entitled ‘We want Juppel (Tuchel) and not (Ralf) Rangnick!’ has almost 10,000 signatures, having been launched on Tuesday.
Austria head coach Rangnick confirmed earlier this week that he was in talks with Bayern over replacing Tuchel. Bayer Leverkusen’s title-winning boss Xabi Alonso had previously been the favourite to take over before he announced last month that he will remain with his current club next season and Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann turned down the chance to return to Bayern and chose to continue with the national team last week.
Bayern announced that Tuchel was to leave the club at the end of the season in Feburary, following “constructive discussion between CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen and (Tuchel)”.
“Despite the negative media coverage surrounding him and the personnel situation with the injury-plagued Munich team, the Champions League winner led his team to the semi-finals of the Champions League,” the petition reads.
“With all due respect to candidates like (Aston Villa coach Unai) Emery or Rangnick, these coaches can’t hold a candle to ‘Juppel’ (Tuchel).
“Considering that the ‘Finale Dahoam’ (Champions League final at the Allianz Arena) will take place next season, Bayern Munich should actually be glad to have such an outstanding Champions League coach like TT (Tuchel).”
Tuchel had signed a deal until the summer of 2025 when he replaced Nagelsmann as Bayern head coach in March 2023. Bayern then won the Bundesliga on the final day of last season when Borussia Dortmund drew 2-2 with Mainz to allow the Munich side to leapfrog them.
This season, Bayern have been second-best domestically behind Alonso’s Leverkusen and are 14 points behind the champions with four matches remaining. They remain in the Champions League after beating Arsenal 3-2 on aggregate in their quarter-final tie and will face Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
Tuchel’s previous head coaching jobs include Mainz, Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
(Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
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