Bayern Munich CEO Claims Tuchel Has Joined Another Team With New Boss Announcement Set for April
Bayern Munich have said they will announce their next manager by the end of April, with Jupp Heynckes' fourth stint drawing to a close.
The 72-year-old took charge of the Bavarians on an interim basis back in September after club officials sacked Carlo Ancelotti for a rocky start to the new season.
There has been plenty of speculation about who might be named as the club's next manager, but CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has confirmed Thomas Tuchel is out of the running after he himself declared he wasn't interested.
He told Sky Sports, as quoted by the official Bundesliga website: "I'm working on the basis that we'll present our new coach by the end of April at the latest.
"But there's no rush, we’re quite relaxed. We’ve already hired coaches just a few days before the start of training. The credo is: we want a German-speaking coach. And that's how it'll be.
"Our sporting director, Hasan Salihamidzic, has held talks with coaches - that’s his job - and among them was Tuchel. Last Friday, Thomas Tuchel told us that he's signed with another club. One has to accept that, but it’s not a problem for us."
There was never any temptation for Heynckes to stay beyond the current season, even if he delivers another historic treble. The Bundesliga title is pretty much assured, and the German giants will contest the DFB-Pokal semi final against Bayer Leverkusen in a couple of weeks.
They have also been drawn against the so-called 'weakest' team left in the Champions League in Sevilla at the quarter final stage, but Heynckes will leave his post at the end of the season no matter what.