As it looks increasingly likely that Hansi Flick will leave Bayern Munich this summer, the reigning European Champions will be looking for a new coach to take the helm from next season. According to Italian website SportMediaset, former Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri is being seriously considered for the job.
Per the report, Allegri is favored by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge for his flexibility, pragmatism, and winning mentality. Having won the Scudetto in every single one of his years at Juve plus making two Champions League finals, the Italian does have a strong track record managing clubs at the top level. If the reporting is to be believed, Bayern therefore see him as a better candidate than Julian Nagelsmann.
Now, anyone who’s watched even 10 minutes of Allegri’s Juve will know why this rumor is complete nonsense, but let’s look at it objectively. The Italian has some major points in favor:
- Allegri has a proven track record of success at both Juventus and AC Milan.
- He’s known to make do with whatever tools he is given by the board, rather than demanding a strong say in the club’s transfer dealings.
- Allegri is currently without a club, and would therefore be able to take over at Bayern immediately. In contrast, RB Leipzig would probably demand a significant fee to let go of Nagelsmann.
While those are significant merits, they don’t really justify making such a radical coaching change. As someone who followed Juventus semi-closely over the days of the Allegri era (including numerous long-winded discussions on BWRAO) — here’s a lowdown on why he would be a terrible fit for Bayern Munich:
- Suicidal pragmatism: Allegri is the anti-Guardiola, his teams are pragmatic to the extreme. While the Italian is undoubtedly a master tactician, his playstyle leaves his teams unable to kill the game off — sometimes leading to unfortunate results (see: Bayern’s comeback in 2016). While Hansi Flick is a manager who presses home the advantage, Allegri preserves a result. That kind of mentality served him well at Juve, but will undoubtedly grate on the Bayern fans and players alike.
- Offensive deficit: Niko Kovac was roundly criticized by Bayern Munich fans for being “too defensive”, but the Croatian pales in comparison to Allegri. Juve were built to sit back and take 1 or 2 goal wins against everyone including the worst teams in the league — scoring goals was barely in their DNA. Offensively, Allegri’s teams lacked a spark, which became clear in their lost Champions league finals to Real Madrid and Barcelona, where they simply failed to threaten. Hiring him would be like hiring Kovac again — not something the board wants to do.
- Contempt for youth: Bayern have some amazing young players in Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies at the moment, with more coming through the pipeline. However, much like Carlo Ancelotti in his Bayern tenure, Allegri prefers experience above all. His arrival would undoubtedly stifle the budding careers of some of Bayern’s most talented prospects, something Brazzo is probably not to keen on.
- A complete misfit: Since Louis van Gaal was hired in 2009, Bayern Munich have played a vibrant, offensive brand of possession based football. The club’s DNA is a complete antithesis to what Allegri represents, which is a pragmatic counterattacking philosophy based on Italian catenaccio. It would be a match made in hell — and the bosses surely know this.
That’s a basic rundown of the problems with Alllegri, but there are some other minor considerations to mention. We can’t know if guys like Thomas Muller or Robert Lewandowski will play well under an Allegri-coached Bayern, given that he didn’t have the best time managing Cristiano Ronaldo at Juve. We also don’t know how rusty he is, given that he hasn’t coached in over two years now. And finally, even if KHR wants him, it’s doubtful that Rummenigge will be the man who chooses the next coach. He leaves the job this year, putting Brazzo and Kahn in the driving seat.
So there you have it, a list of logical reasons why this Allegri rumor makes no sense. Honestly, it’s a shame that Hansi is slated to leave, because he fit Bayern like a glove. Will the club find a proper successor? It’s going to be a difficult search.