Bayern Munich legend Karlheinz Rummenigge (69) warned his excited old team.
Bayern Munich experienced its biggest crisis in this season last month. It suffered a crushing defeat of 0-3 against Leverkusen, which was in competition for the championship, and also lost its third consecutive game by kneeling down against Lazio and Bochum. Red flags have been sent not only to the Bundesliga for 11 consecutive years but also to the quarterfinals at the UEFA Champions League.
On top of that, an early goodbye to manager Thomas Tuchel was officially announced, creating a chaotic atmosphere. Originally, the contract was signed until 2025, but he agreed with Bayern Munich to leave the team at the end of this season.
Since then, Bayern Munich has gradually rebounded. It is still difficult to win 11 consecutive Bundesliga matches, but it has regained its smile by winning three consecutive official matches. The starting point was to beat Lazio 3-0 at home on the 6th (Korea Standard Time).
If they had lost, they could have fallen into the worst situation. “The draw against Freiburg proved once again how weak Bayern is still,” German footballer Kicker said ahead of the match against Lazio. “Coach Thomas Tuchel is still struggling. The entire season is in jeopardy against Lazio.” Fortunately, Bayern Munich beat Lazio and advanced to the quarterfinals of the UCL.
Bayern Munich, which gained momentum, secured huge wins against Mainz (8-1) and Darmstadt (5-2) in succession in the league. Although the team failed to block a loss in defense, it delighted its fans by exploding goal firecrackers.
Tuchel also smiled broadly. “Of course, we are delighted with the away win that we deserved. We created many chances throughout the game, and we deserved more than five goals,” Tuchel said after the match against Darmstadt. “The atmosphere within the team is good, and the training attitude is good. I am happy to be able to continue winning streaks of matches. Now I just hope all the players come back safe from injury in the A-match games,” he said with satisfaction.
The change that Tuchel chose worked. He changed his style of play more passively than before, and significantly changed his defense. He started the Eric Dier and Matheis the Licht duo by putting Kim Min-jae and Dayo Upamecano on the bench, and displayed the effect by placing Jojua Kimmich as right-back rather than midfielder.
Compliments are pouring in from Germany. The prevailing view is that the combination of Dier and The Licht is playing a solid defense based on smooth communication. Naturally, Kim Min-jae was pushed back to the center back of three options. Bild even called him the loser of the new Tuchel system.
Tuchel also said that there is not much need for Kim Min-jae for now. Ahead of the match against Darmstadt, Tuchel said, “Dear and The Licht won the game and they work well together. They are also working well with fullback and defensive midfielder. Communication between the two is going very well. There is little reason to make a change now.”
Dyer is also full of confidence. “If you are playing for a team like Bayern Munich, and you are doing well, you should have a good chance. Why not?” he said, dreaming of a return to the English national team. “There is definitely a difference between my personal situation and the team situation. Personally, I am happy with the situation that has been given to me. I love this city! Munich is much quieter than London, and the traffic is not bad. I have everything I need, and I am very happy here,” he said with a bright smile.
However, Rummenigge sent a warning to Bayern Munich. Bild reported, “Rumenigge warned Thomas Tuchel and Bayern Munich. Bayern Munich stars should keep this in mind!”
Rummenigge served as chairman of Bayern Munich’s board of directors until 2021. “We have to deal with the current situation with a serious attitude. We played against Lazio, not the best team in Europe. We beat the lowest-ranked team in the Bundesliga (Mainz) 8-1 and won 5-2 against Darmstadt, another last-ranked team.”
It is pointed out that the victory against Lazio, ninth place in Serie A, Mainz, and Darmstadt, the lowest in the Bundesliga, is not such a big deal. This means that Bayern Munich, which should aim for the top of Europe, should not be overly intoxicated just because it beat them.
“Now we should not feel happy instead of lethargy. We need to relax. We have not done that for most of this season. We need to show our best in two big matches against Arsenal, who are waiting for us,” he added.
Bayern Munich will now face Arsenal in the quarterfinals of the UCL. “I expect a difficult game. Arsenal are leading the Premier League, and it is no coincidence. We should not look back on the past. This is probably the most difficult game that we can think of. Now is the time to display all our strengths and make it possible for us to do something that is undoubtedly difficult.”
As Rummenigge said, the match against Arsenal is expected to be a real test for Bayern Munich. Bayern Munich will play “Dare Clasiker” with Dortmund after the A-match break ends in March, and will then compete with Arsenal for the ticket to the UCL semifinals. As the match will be against strong teams, the Dyer-The Licht combination can be properly verified. Alternatively, there is a possibility that Kim Min-jae, who has strength in covering the back space, will return to the starting lineup.
Regardless of the outcome of the match against Arsenal, Tuchel and his departure have been confirmed. Rummenigge said, “I am not feeling any pressure at all. I made the decision early. I have already thought about breaking up with Tuchel at the end of the season. Now the situation is clear and it has been decided. General manager Max Everest and CEO Jancristian Dresen will proceed with the discussion calmly. Also, honorary chairman Uli Hönes and I will give you advice.”