Hitzfeld and Heynckes urge Bayern Munich to make an early decision over the next manager

Bayern Munich’s current president Herbert Hainer recently spoke about the club’s current plan to decide in May whether caretaker manager Hans-Dieter Flick would continue as Bayern’s manager. While this course of action, making an important coaching decision towards the end of the season, seems pragmatic from the club’s perspective, former managers Ottmar Hitzfeld and Jupp Heynckes do not necessarily think it is the best policy (AZ).

Both spoke in favor of a decision by mid-March, in the middle of Bayern’s Champions League tie with Chelsea. Heynckes said,

In principle, clarity is desirable by mid-March, so that the club and the coach can make arrangements.

Hitzfeld spoke in the same vein:

Early March is ideal, so that both sides can plan and concentrate on what’s essential.

A club and its coach need to start planning months in advance for the coming season, as it would allow them to identify the roles that need to be filled and undertake more in-depth scouting of players to fill those roles, especially with a major summer transfer window on the horizon.

If either the club or the coach choose to part ways, then it allows the coach to fully focus on the current season without having to plan or worry beyond the season, while allowing the club to scout its next coach and plan together for the new season.

Given how improved Bayern have looked under Hansi Flick — from the style and speed of play, his rapport with the players and staff to his tactical nous — the club needn’t be pragmatic to a fault. They would do well to make an early call over their manager for the next season after the Champions League round-of-16 tie against Chelsea, which would give them a fair amount of time and substance to justify their eventual decision.