Thomas Tuchel says he is “disappointed” in himself for the job he has done at Bayern Munich but insists he is “not the only problem” at the club.
Bayern announced this week that Tuchel would leave at the end of the season with the club’s run of 11 successive Bundesliga titles set to end – Bayer Leverkusen hold an eight-point lead at the top of the table – while they also face a fight to advance in the Champions League following a 1-0 defeat to Lazio in their round of 16 first leg.
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There have been suggestions of a rift in the dressing room, something Tuchel dismissed, but he concedes his performance at the Allianz Arena has not met his expectations.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s home game with RB Leipzig, a prickly Tuchel said: “I am disappointed with myself, I am not personally disappointed with the players. We have high demands on the players and try to get the most out of them.
“But we are dissatisfied with how we’ve played. It’s not a clear picture, though. If it was, there’d be someone else sitting here at the press conference.
“I am responsible and I have to own that. The results and the development of the team are not as I imagined.
“I don’t think I am the only problem but I am responsible.”
????️ Tuchel on the rest of the season: “We love football and what we do. For me, it doesn’t matter if my contract is for five weeks or five years. The only thing that matters is the here and now. The situation is different now, but that won’t play a role. I love the job and… pic.twitter.com/hL0stlpZzN
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) February 23, 2024
Tuchel feels the decision to part ways in the summer means he can attack the remaining games without being burdened by longer-term objectives.
He added: “My decisions as a coach are now of course characterised by greater freedom.
“You no longer need to weigh up the long-term effects of a decision. Now everything can be coached like a cup game, from game to game.”
Despite his struggles at Bayern, Tuchel is likely to get another high-profile job due to his work at previous clubs Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
The 50-year-old said he has an “idea” regarding his next move but that it would stay “in the draw” before adding: “Nothing will happen until the end of the season.
“It has never worked for me to plan other things during a job. The job requires 100 per cent of what I have.”
