Thomas Tuchel turns Bayern Munich down!

A bombshell has just shaken German media: according to exclusive information obtained by Bild am Sonntag (via Sport Bild), Thomas Tuchel has turned down Bayern Munich’s offer to succeed Jupp Heynckes as the team’s coach next season. Instead, according to the report, Tuchel intends to move instead to a top-flight club abroad.

Tuchel has long been the favorite candidate, and Bayern have reportedly been in contact with the former Borussia Dortmund coach for months. Apparently, Bayern at last made a serious effort to sign Tuchel this past week only to discover that Tuchel is no longer available.

With Tuchel officially off the table, Bayern find themselves yet again without a clear alternative to Jupp Heynckes, who has been adamant about his intention to retire after the current season. Recent reports indicated that sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic officially suggested Tottenham Hotspurs’ Mauricio Pochettino. If Bayern had learned earlier in the week that Tuchel was unavailable, that could explain why the club suddenly seemed interested in a non-German coach.

A hectic phone conference comes to nothing

Sueddeutsche Zeitung now reports that the news emerged after a hectic telephone conference in which chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, president Uli Hoeness, and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic tried in vain to convince Thomas Tuchel to accept the job. Tuchel had informed Bayern on Thursday that he would accept the offer from another top European club.

It was apparently only after this news that Bayern finally made Tuchel, with whom the club had been in contact for months, a serious formal offer. Rummenigge, Salihamidzic, and Heynckes himself had all favored signing Tuchel, but Hoeness remained opposed until it was too late. Tuchel had signaled his interest in the job in September.

Tuchel now has committed to a different club, which will be revealed in the near future. Who will coach Bayern Munich next season, however, remains an open question.