Tuchel won't stay on as Bayern coach, sweats on Sane, Gnabry fitness
Thomas Tuchel has dismissed the idea of staying on as Bayern Munich coach beyond the season while sweating on the fitness of forwards Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane for the upcoming Champions League semi-final date with Real Madrid.
Tuchel faced reporters on Friday shortly after news broke that Julian Nagelsmann has renewed his contract as national team coach until 2026 which ends speculation he could return to Bayern in summer.
Tuchel succeeded Nagelsmann in March last year on a contract until 2025. But it was agreed a few weeks ago in the wake of an inconsistent domestic campaign that he will leave in summer.
And Tuchel said this will not change: "I have an agreement with the club which has been communicated and stands."
Bayern have lost the Bundesliga title race to Bayer Leverkusen but there are still five games left, starting with Saturday's trip to Union Berlin, plus the Champions League semis against Real on April 30 and May 8 for a place in the Wembley final on June 1.
Tuchel suggested he will rotate his squad for the Union match and that Sane will most very likely not travel because of persistent pubic bone pain, "unless a medical miracle occurs."
According to Tuchel Sane faces "a race against the pain" and the also injured Gnabry "a race against time" to be fit for the first match against Real, which is preceded by another Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt.
The reverse fixture against Union in autumn saw a major controversy when then new Union coach Nenad Bjelica had an altercation with Sane and was banned for three matches for hitting the player in the face.
"First of all I am happy that it didn't have far reaching consequences for my colleague. I don't think he wanted to act in this way and got a fright when he saw it. We are all not perfect and mistakes can happen," Tuchel said.
Bayern have never lost against Union, winning six of their previous nine duels, and want to remain second. Union badly need points after slipping to within three points of the danger zone.
"They sit deep and we'll have a lot of the ball. We seem to struggle more than when we can counter," Tuchel said. "We need to be hungry when it comes to winning back the ball."
