It was on Thursday last week when Carlo Ancelotti lost his role as Bayern Munich head coach but ever since, there’s been a period of uncertainty over who will take over.
For the time being, Willy Sagnol has been appointed as interim coach until further notice. Here’s the shortlist of potential candidates.
Thomas Tuchel: Bayern Munich have already had talks with the former Borussia Dortmund head coach, if SportBild are anything to go by. They may not be the most reliable outlet out there, but they do get things right from time-to-time.
The question here remains as to whether Tuchel’s ego is a stumbling block for Bayern. Although he won the DFB Pokal with his previous employers, many found it hard to work with him, which could prove a problem for Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß. It’s also unlikely that Tuchel will want the role until the end of the season, especially with Julian Nagelsmann also linked.
Julian Nagelsmann: The fan favourite – It’s perhaps too early for Julian Nagelsmann to take charge of Bayern Munich just yet, although he is seen as the eventual manager of Bayern Munich. There’s no real need for him to leave TSG 1899 Hoffenheim at the minute and it’s extremely unlikely that he will do so.
There is a possibility that he could join Bayern Munich in the summer, but only time will tell. Nagelsmann does have ties to Bavaria, where he is currently having a house built, which has obviously fuelled speculation.
Louis van Gaal: Bayern Munich head coach between 2009-2011, Louis van Gaal actually seems like a realistic appoint. Tuesday afternoon saw Bild report that he could be heading back to the Bundesliga club until the end of the season but after falling out with Hoeneß in his previous spell, there’s the question as to whether the duo could work together one more time.
To be honest, the Dutchman does seem like the logical appointment. He knows the club, he knows what the fans want and he knows the ideology and what it means to be Bayern Munich. He’s worked with both Arjen Robben and Thomas Müller in the past and it’s unlikely that he’ll take long to settle back in to management.
Luis Enrique: According to Spanish journalists, namely freelancer Juanma Romero who covers the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich have opened talks with former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique but the questions remains as to whether he can manage the egos at the Bundesliga club, after arguably failing during his time as Barca head coach.
It’s unlikely that this one will happen.
Xabi Alonso: An outsider by all means, the chances that Bayern Munich appoint their former midfielder are very slim. Currently undergoing his coaching badges, it could well be a couple of years before we see Xabi in a managerial. You could well argue that you only have to take a look at what Zinedine Zidane has achieved since his appointment at Real Madrid, but the two are at opposite sides of the spectrum.
