In an odd twist compared to previously released information, Bild [via TZ] is reporting that Bayern Munich may be moving on from younger coaching prospects such as Niko Kovac (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Julian Nagelsmann (Hoffenheim) in effort to lure 52-year old SC Freiburg coach Christian Streich to the Allianz Arena.
Freiburg sporting director Jochen Saier addressed the rumor head-on, but did not offer any denials; instead opting to focus on tomorrow’s fixture.
Someone puts something into the world, others write it off. We cannot prevent that, but we certainly will not jump over every stick that is held up to us and look forward to an interesting match against Bayern Munich tomorrow.
To this point Streich had not been mentioned or rumored as a potential successor to Jupp Heynckes, but with the candidate pool looking ever so shallow, Die Roten may need to expand its horizons. Per TZ, Streich may have at least one important supporter in Munich, Jupp Heynckes himself:
He has been working for SC Freiburg for 23 years. If you hand in the best players every year and still put together a team that ensures the relegation, that is outstanding.
With other desirable candidates such as Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp, Die Mannschaft manager Jogi Löw, and RB Leipzig’s Ralph Hasenhüttl all facing stringent contractual obligations, it appears that Bayern’s management team may be looking for a coach to bridge the latest the gap. Streich might be hired in the short term, to step down when a long-term option becomes available.
One candidate who has been repeatedly discussed is former Borussia Dortmund head coach Thomas Tuchel. However, it appears the 44-year old strategist has sparked internal conflict among the Bayern management team, which will likely leave him out of the running per TZ.
Streich is said to have moved into the field of vision of the industry leader because of the indisposition of other suitable candidates. Thomas Tuchel’s commitment will result in disunity for the FCB leadership. Niko Kovac and Julian Nagelsmann are probably still too inexperienced to deal with the daily pressures of success at Säbener Straße.
If anything, tomorrow’s match now hold a little more intrigue as Bayern fans can closely examine the coaching style and tactics of Streich.