Bayern Munich, Vincent Kompany Agree to Contract to Replace Thomas Tuchel as Manager
May 29, 2024
Burnley's Belgian manager Vincent Kompany reacts during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on May 11, 2024. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Vincent Kompany is officially the manager of Bayern Munich.
The club announced Wednesday that it agreed to a deal with Kompany that will make him the head coach through June 2027. Kompany arrives after a stint as the head coach of the English Premier League club FC Burnley and will replace Thomas Tuchel after he and Bayern Munich parted ways.
Vertrag bis 2027: Vincent Kompany neuer Trainer des FC Bayern. 🔴⚪
"I'm looking forward to the challenge of FC Bayern," Kompany said.
"It's a great honour to be able to work for this club—FC Bayern is an institution in international football. As a coach, you have to stand for what you are as a character: I love having the ball, being creative—but we also have to be aggressive and courageous on the pitch. I'm now looking forward to the basics: working with the players, building a team. Once the basis is right, success will follow."
Despite becoming the coach of one of the sport's most well-known teams, Kompany is still best known for his playing career. That career started in 2003 with Anderlecht and included stops with Hamburger SV, Man City and Anderlecht.
He won the Belgian championship twice with Anderlecht, but it was his 11 years with Man City that stand out the most.
Kompany was named to the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2022 after he won the English Premier League and the EFL Cup four times. He also won the FA Cup and Community Shield twice.
The defensive specialist played for the Belgian national team as well and participated in the 2014 and 2018 World Cups. He helped lead his side to a third-place finish in 2018.
His time with Burnley was brief and was something of a roller coaster. He took over ahead of the 2022-23 campaign and led the team to promotion into the Premier League in his first season thanks to a first-place finish in the Championship.
However, the team finished in 19th place with five wins, nine draws and 24 losses in the Premier League during the manager's second season at the helm and was relegated back to the Championship.
Kompany still showed enough to Bayern Munich to convince the club to hire him as the next manager following the split with Tuchel. It was revealed in February that Tuchel was leaving as head coach a year earlier than his contract end date of June 2025.
Bayern Munich finished this past season in third place in the Bundesliga, which ended a streak of 11 consecutive first-place finishes. They were also eliminated in the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League by Real Madrid.
Thomas Tuchel, Bayern Munich to Part Ways at End of Season amid Struggles
Feb 21, 2024
ROME, ITALY - FEBRUARY 14: Thomas Tuchel head coach of FC Bayern München gestures during the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 round of 16 first leg match between SS Lazio and FC Bayern München at Stadio Olimpico on February 14, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Silvia Lore/Getty Images)
Bayern Munich announced Wednesday that manager Thomas Tuchel will leave the club at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Tuchel released a statement on his impending departure, saying, according to ESPN: "We have agreed that we will end our working relationship at the end of this season. Until then, I will of course continue to do everything I can with my coaching staff to achieve maximum success."
Bayern are in the midst of a down year by their standards, as the perennial German power is second in the Bundesliga standings and trails first-place Bayer Leverkusen by eight points.
While Bayern have won an unprecedented 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles, their streak is in serious danger of ending this season.
Leverkusen are undefeated with 18 wins, four draws and no losses, while Bayern have dropped two Bundesliga matches in a row to Leverkusen and 11th-place Bochum.
Bayern Munich also fell 1-0 to Lazio in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match, giving them a total of three consecutive losses for the first time since May 2015.
Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen released a statement on the decision to move on from Tuchel amid the club's struggles, saying, per ESPN:
"In a good, open discussion, we came to the decision to end our working relationship by mutual agreement in the summer. Our goal is to pursue a new footballing direction with a new head coach for the 2024-25 season. Until then, every individual at the club is expressly called upon to achieve the maximum possible in the Champions League and Bundesliga.
"I also explicitly hold the team accountable in this regard. In the Champions League in particular, after losing 1-0 in the first leg at Lazio, we are convinced we will reach the quarterfinals at a packed Allianz Arena with our fans behind us."
Tuchel, 50, has coached some of the top clubs in the world in recent years, as his past four stops were at Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
He won a single DFB-Pokal at Dortmund, two Ligue 1 titles at PSG and scored the biggest victory of his coaching career in 2021 when he led Chelsea to a Champions League title.
Tuchel was named Best FIFA Football Coach and UEFA Men's Coach of the Year in 2021, but his stay at Chelsea ended in 2022 following multiple Premier League and Champions League losses.
While sitting one point out of the Bundesliga lead last season, Bayern fired Julian Nagelsmann and replaced him with Tuchel, who helped Die Roten come from behind to win an 11th consecutive league title.
Tuchel's time at Bayern was short-lived, though, and he now finds himself in a lame-duck position for the rest of the Bundesliga and Champions League campaigns.
Bayern Munich's Harry Kane Agrees to Historic Contract with Fanatics
Sep 14, 2023
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 12: Harry Kane of England during the 150th Anniversary Heritage Match between Scotland and England at Hampden Park on September 12, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Bayern Munich star and England international Harry Kane agreed to a memorabilia deal with Fanatics.
Kane is the first British athlete to sign such a contract. Through the partnership, Fanatics will be the sole outlet for his autographed memorabilia, and the company will sell match-worn apparel as well.
"I'm thrilled to announce my new exclusive memorabilia partnership with Fanatics, who is the renowned, innovative leader in this space," Kane said. "This partnership will allow me to share some of my most incredible career memories and experiences with sports fans across the globe."
The 30-year-old is one of the most prolific forwards in Premier League history. His 213 goals across 317 appearances are second all time behind Alan Shearer, and he's a three-time winner of the Golden Boot, which goes to the top goalscorer each year.
Kane moved from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich over the summer, commanding the third-largest transfer fee (£100 million) of the window. He has hit the ground in Bavaria with three goals and one assist through his first three Bundesliga appearances.
Kane's impressive record has carried over to the national team. In 86 appearances with the Three Lions, he has 59 goals and 15 assists. He moved ahead of Wayne Rooney in March to become highest-scoring English player ever at international level.
Thanks in part to Kane's contributions, England finished fourth in the 2018 World Cup, its best finish in the tournament since 1990. Gareth Southgate's squad went on to be the runner-up at Euro 2020.
Harry Kane Completes Bayern Munich Transfer, Posts Video Message to Tottenham Fans
Aug 12, 2023
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 6: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur during the pre-season friendly match between Tottenham Hotspur and Shakhtar Donetsk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 6, 2023 in England. (Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images)
Harry Kane is officially a member of Bayern Munich after his transfer from Tottenham was finalized.
The Reds posted a video on social media formally welcoming the 30-year-old to the club.
Kane posted a video of his own on the social-media platform, saying thank you and goodbye to Tottenham fans after spending 14 years with the club.
Hard to put into words how to say goodbye to a club and fans who have done so much for me in my career. You will always be in my heart. Thank you Tottenham, thank you Tottenham fans. 💙 pic.twitter.com/L662cyax7p
Bayern does present Kane with an opportunity to win at a level he hasn't been able to thus far. The club has won a total of 33 Bundesliga titles, including 11 straight dating back to the 2012-13 season.
The Bavarians have also made it to the knockout stage in the Champions League in each of the past four seasons, including their victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the 2019-20 final.
Spurs have finished outside the top three in the Premier League standings 11 times in 14 seasons since 2009-10. Their best result with Kane was a runner-up finish in 2016-17.
Kane could make his debut as soon as today as Bayern take on RB Leipzig on Saturday at Allianz Arena in the DFL-Super Cup final. A win would give Kane his first trophy at club level.
Harry Kane, Bayern Munich Reportedly Agree to 4-Year Contract amid Tottenham Transfer
Aug 10, 2023
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 6: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur during the pre-season friendly match between Tottenham Hotspur and Shakhtar Donetsk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 6, 2023 in England. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Harry Kane is one step closer to finally earning his first trophy.
The superstar striker has reportedly agreed to a four-year deal with Bayern Munich, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein, after Tottenham agreed to accept a €100 million ($110 million) transfer fee to sell Kane to the Bavarian giants earlier on Thursday.
Kane will still need to undergo a medical before the transfer can be completed.
The move made sense for the English striker on a few levels.
For one, he'll now have Champions League football this season with Bayern. Had he stayed with Tottenham he would have missed out on European football entirely this season after the club finished eighth in the Premier League during the 2022-23 campaign.
But the 30-year-old Kane also never won any silverware with Spurs or the English national team. Bayern Munich, meanwhile, have won 11 straight Bundesliga titles and have won the Champions League twice since Kane made his senior debut for Tottenham in Aug. 2011.
Only one club has reached more Champions League finals than Bayern Munich in the last 15 years (Real Madrid).
Twice as many as Man City/Chelsea, three more than Man Utd or Tottenham. Forget goalscoring records. Forget Bundesliga titles. That's why Harry Kane wants to join.
So Kane gets his best shot at ending his trophy drought, while Bayern Munich finally fill the Robert Lewandowski-sized hole they never addressed last season after the Polish forward departed for Barcelona one year ago.
In Kane, Bayern gets a clinical goal-scorer who scored 30 goals in Premier League play last season, the second time he's hit that mark and the sixth time he exceeded 20 scores.
But he's also fantastic in hold-up play and is an excellent playmaker, with 26 assists across his past three Premier League campaigns. Tottenham's star winger, Son Heung-min, regularly benefitted from Kane's vision and deft through balls.
Now, Bayern's explosive collection of wide players—Leroy Sané, Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry and Jamal Musiala are all available to play out wide, a stunning collection of attacking talent—should thrive while flanking Kane. The perpetual German champions are about to become a whole lot scarier for the rest of the Bundesliga.
Bayern Munich Mocked by Fans for Wasted Chances in Champions League Loss vs. Man City
Apr 19, 2023
MUNICH, GERMANY - APRIL 19: Leroy Sané of FC Bayern Muenchen regreat during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg match between FC Bayern München and Manchester City at Allianz Arena on April 19, 2023 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Danilo Di Giovanni/Getty Images)
Bayern Munich's Champions League campaign is over after drawing 1-1 with Manchester City in the second leg of their quarterfinal tie on Wednesday to lose 4-1 on aggregate.
Bayern faced the daunting task of overturning a three-goal deficit from the first leg. When Erling Haaland made it 1-0 to City in the 57th minute, what slim hope of a comeback had remained was gone.
Thomas Tuchel's side had a reasonably bright start and encountered some good fortune when Haaland skied his penalty attempt over the bar in the 37th minute. But in a match in which it couldn't afford to waste its best scoring chances, Bayern's lack of finishing ability was glaring.
I hate saying the word easy but over the two legs Bayern Munich haven’t been able to lay a glove on Manchester City. Had control over the both legs, have held their shape really comfortably tonight,Bayern Munich failing to work the space to be progressive.Perfect away performance
Maybe this is how the quarterfinals always would've unfolded for Bayern Munich when the draw was first revealed. Manchester City has clearly emerged as the biggest threat to reigning champion Real Madrid, and Bayern has flattered to deceive for much of the season.
But swapping Julian Nagelsmann for Tuchel has yet to provide much of a lift.
For the billionth time, why on earth did Bayern ever think sacking Nagelsmann to bring in Tuchel was a good idea?
Bayern maybe shouldn’t have fired their manager right before critical Champions League matches because he was skateboarding to training and took a ski trip to Austria (among other equally laughable reasons now)
Really think Bayern should’ve at least given Nagelsmann the chance to lead the team against Man City. So harsh. And let’s face it, there’s been very little bounce; out of the Champions League, out of the German Cup. No wonder the tv director keeps switching to Oliver Kahn.
All is not lost for Bayern. The Bavarians maintain a two-point lead atop the Bundesliga table, a gap that feels much bigger given second-place Borussia Dortmund's propensity for shooting itself in the foot.
Granted, only winning a domestic title is likely to be viewed as a disappointment for a club with such lofty expectations every year.
The honeymoon period for Tuchel ended after the first leg of the quarterfinals. Based on Bayern's form, patience may not be a luxury he'll get to enjoy once the 2023-24 season commences.
Report: Sadio Mané Hit Bayern Munich Teammate Leroy Sané After Manchester City Loss
Apr 12, 2023
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 11: Leroy Sane of Bayern Munich and Sadio Mane of Bayern Munich moan at each other during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg match between Manchester City and FC Bayern München at Etihad Stadium on April 11, 2023 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Sadio Mané reportedly hit Bayern Munich teammate Leroy Sané after the club's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday.
BREAKING: Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane punched teammate Leroy Sane in the face after yesterday’s Champions League defeat at Manchester City. pic.twitter.com/diUYAnBiDF
According to Sky Germany (via Sky Sports), the two had to be separated in the Bayern dressing room. Sané was left with a bleeding lip from the altercation.
Bayern Munich has yet to comment on the matter.
This adds to what has been a rocky season for Mané with the German giant.
The 31-year-old made a bright start, scoring in the DFL-Supercup and then finding the net three times in Bayern's first three Bundesliga fixtures. His form has tailed off dramatically of late, though. His last club goal came in a 6-2 victor over Mainz on Oct. 29.
The Athletic's Raphael Honigstein and Thom Harris wrote Tuesday that the reported argument between Mané and former manager Julian Nagelsmann was "widely overblown" but stated "Mané could have had more TLC from Nagelsmann."
They contrasted his situation now with his time at Liverpool, where Jürgen Klopp provided "constant encouragement and empathy" along with his demands.
The general turmoil at Bayern probably hasn't helped. The extremely high standards at the club every year mean a bad run of form is cause for crisis.
Bayern Munich trailed Borussia Dortmund by just one point for first place in the Bundesliga, but officials still saw fit to make a managerial change.
While the Bavarians are top of the league again, Thomas Tuchel's arrival hasn't remedied everything. A Champions League exit is all but certain now, and the club lost Tuchel's second match in charge to Freiburg in the DFB-Pokal quarterfinals.
It was also reported in late March that Sané was unhappy, raising questions over his long-term future.
Tuchel has been in the job for only a few weeks, and he already has had to put out a number of fires.
Bayern Munich's Defending Mocked by Fans in UCL Quarterfinal Loss to Manchester City
Apr 11, 2023
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 11: Bernardo Silva of Manchester City during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg match between Manchester City and FC Bayern Munchen at Etihad Stadium on April 11, 2023 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images)
Bayern Munich are going to have to dig deep the next time they hit the field if they hope to advance in the UEFA Champions League.
After falling 3-0 to Manchester City on Tuesday in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal at Etihad Stadium, the Bavarians are going to have to put together a near-perfect game in the second leg on April 19.
Tuesday's match was highlighted by numerous defensive mistakes by Bayern Munich, which began early with Rodri scoring his first-ever Champions League goal in the 27th minute to put Manchester City up 1-0 entering halftime.
Things got out of hand for the Bavarians after allowing a goal to Bernardo Silva in the 70th minute and another to Erling Haaland in the 76th minute, which put the game out of reach for Thomas Tuchel's squad.
🔥 ¡Gooooool del Cityyyyy! ¡Goool de Silva con asistencia de Haaland! 🔥
It's not easy for any defense to contain a Manchester City offense that includes Haaland, Rodrigo, Silva and Julián Álvarez, among others, but Bayern Munich's defense was particularly poor on Tuesday, and it caught the ire of fans after the loss:
Bayern have been awful today. Simply awful. No threat, horrible in defense. Can’t withstand the pressure.
This Man City team is great, but how is Bayern’s defense so awful. They’re a world class club but their defense has been pure comedy this entire match.
With Manchester City entering the second leg holding a 3-0 advantage over Bayern Munich, the Bavarians would have to score four goals in order to advance to the next round on aggregate—provided Man City doesn't add more goals in the second leg.
At this point, it's unrealistic to think this Bayern Munich squad can take down a well-oiled Manchester City team. However, it's not impossible, and the Bavarians have a lot to clean up before the two sides meet again later this month.
Report: Julian Nagelsmann Fired by Bayern Munich; Thomas Tuchel Agrees to Contract
Mar 23, 2023
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - MARCH 19: Julian Nagelsmann, Head Coach of FC Bayern Munich, looks on during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern München at BayArena on March 19, 2023 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Bayern Munich reportedly made a shocking change at manager on Thursday, firing Julian Nagelsmann and hiring former Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, according to footy reporter Fabrizio Romano.
🚨 Exclusive news confirmed: Julian Nagelsmann is set to be sacked with an immediate effect as FC Bayern coach. #FCBayern
Bayern finds itself one point behind Borussia Dortmund with 25 matches played. The Bavarian giants are at risk of seeing a 10-year title streak ended this season.
The two sides will square up for a crucial clash on Saturday, April 1, after the international break. That lapse in action will presumably give Tuchel the opportunity to get acquainted with some of his players and begin implementing his routines before arguably the most important match of the Bundesliga season.
Nagelsmann, 35, led Bayern to a pair of German Supercup titles and a Bundesliga title last season. The Bavarian giants remain in the running for a Champions League title this season as well, though a brutal quarterfinal matchup with Premier League powerhouse Manchester City looms.
No need to mince words—replacing Nagelsmann is a stunning, and borderline bizarre, move:
Would just like to say, if you're going to complain about Prem money, binning the head of your rebuild basically one season in (if we talk about it as Post-Lewy) and writing off basically a transfer window's worth of funds in the process, isn't going to help
Tuchel might win the treble and that's still terrible process. Bayern don't fire people on Thursday night during an international break. I'm not buying this is just performance related
— @larspollmann.bsky.social (@LarsPollmann) March 23, 2023
Sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic was especially critical after Sunday‘s 1:2 defeat in Leverkusen. “I’ve rarely seen anything like that…we were inferior in all areas
Tuchel, 49, has led some of the biggest clubs in Europe, though his tenures haven't lasted long, with his time at Dortmund, PSG and Chelsea all ending within two seasons.
He did win two Ligue 1 titles with PSG, however, and a Champions League title with Chelsea. His tactical prowess has rarely been debated, though his ability to navigate the politics of working with ownership and sporting directors, and his management style within the locker room has been called into question given his short stays at his recent destinations.
At Bayern Munich, the expectation is simple: Win, win and win some more. The Bavarians have grown accustomed to dominating the Bundesliga over the past decade, and Tuchel is seemingly being brought in to provide the group with a jolt as Dortmund threaten the title streak.
