Berlin, Apr 12 (IANS): Taking on Europe's presumed best side after only 15 days in charge might be one of the biggest challenges for a coach.
When signing his contract with Bayern Munich until 2024 about two weeks ago, Thomas Tuchel likely considered what was next in the Champions League quarterfinals, reports Xinhua.
The 49-year-old's fourth game at the helm took the former Paris and Chelsea manager back to England, where he achieved his greatest success to date by leading Chelsea to win the 2021 Champions League final against Manchester City and their Spanish star coach Pep Guardiola.
This time, Tuchel was less fortunate despite devising a sophisticated tactical approach for what he called "a high-speed line-up."
Hoping to repeat his success from two years ago, Julian Nagelsmann's predecessor chose a surprising starting eleven, leaving club icon Thomas Muller on the bench and selecting speedy players Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman, and Jamal Musiala.
Several former Bayern coaches struggled when attempting to sideline Muller, failing to provide a convincing game plan and suffering from poor communication.
While Bayern lost the first leg against the Sky Blues 3-0, Tuchel promoted Muller to one of his assistants, as the 33-year-old regularly joined the coach's side to discuss the game's progress.
Media reports mentioned that Bayern's players respected the concise and incisive instructions provided by the coach.
Losing the first game after eight consecutive wins in the Champions League probably doesn't diminish the impact Bayern's new coach has made in a short period.
Being eliminated in the German Cup on home soil against underdog SC Freiburg might increase the pressure Tuchel faces in the second leg against City on April 19.
This Tuesday's match proved that Bayern under Tuchel can pose a threat to Guardiola, who is trying to win the Champions League for the third time after 2009 and 2011 when he guided Barcelona to victory twice. For over 70 minutes, the Bavarians competed on equal footing. However, Bayern is lacking efficiency and a powerful forward since Robert Lewandowski left for Barcelona in 2022.
While Tuchel can hardly be blamed for the void, it's more so Bayern's club leaders' transfer policy causing a quality gap that is likely hindering their chances to reach the semifinals. The painful 3-0 defeat doesn't seem to leave much room for optimism.
Bayern and Tuchel might do better to focus on the domestic league campaign and their future squad.
Five days apparently weren't enough for Tuchel to unleash his new team's potential, but the Bayern coach isn't giving up and is hoping for a miracle.