da winzada777： The Bavarians have seen their top choices look elsewhere, and they now face an uncertain future in the dugout

da doce： Bayern Munich really shouldn't have fired Julian Nagelsmann. That much is clear now. The Bavarians were in a weird place when they let go of the German in March 2023 – alive in both the Champions League and Bundesliga, albeit the vibes in the camp were iffy to say the least.

So, they released the manager, brought in Thomas Tuchel, and so should have started an era of resurgence – or at least a continuation of the standard thrashing of the rest of the Bundesliga. And although they eventually won the league after Borussia Dortmund underwent one of football's greatest acts of self-destruction, things haven't improved.

Fast forward 12 months, and Bayern are now on the hunt for a new coach, with Tuchel set to leave within six weeks. The Bundesliga is gone – lost to Xabi Alonso's excellent Bayer Leverkusen side – while Champions League glory seems unlikely. And the search for a new face in the dugout hasn't gone swimmingly, either. Rejections from two big names have rather stalled the process, while movements elsewhere have left the club considering its less-favoured options.

What would historically be considered a dream job for many of Europe's elite coaches, the serial Bundesliga winners now find themselves struggling to hire a manager, and may even have to settle for a coach they didn't really want.

(C)Getty ImagesNagelsmann, the problem?

Nagelsmann made sense as an appointment when he was brought in to replace Hansi Flick in July 2021. The young, trendy, skateboard-riding German had worked wonders with the Red Bull setup, and Bayern showed little hesitation in shelling out a world record €25 million (£22m/$30m) to bring the coach to Munich.

In 2021-22, he hit the bare minimum, winning the Bundesliga with three games to spare. And although cup glory proved elusive – Nagelsmann's former side Leipzig claimed the trophy – he could have few qualms about their domestic performances. In Europe, things were less impressive, with the Bavarians knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage. Still, zoom out and there is little shame in losing to Unai Emery's devastating Villarreal side – who made a surprise semi-final run.

The year after, though, the problems really started. Robert Lewandowski left for Barcelona, and was never entirely replaced. The signing of a declining Sadio Mane didn't work, and problems at board level cultivated a toxic environment around the club. It didn't help, either, that Bayern had fallen behind a surging Dortmund in the title race. Whether Nagelsmann was shrewd in his outspokenness is up for debate, but it certainly seemed harsh that the board reportedly sacked the manager without warning.

Advertisementgetty imagesTuchel, the saviour?

Tuchel's availability served as some justification for what had happened to Nagelsmann. Another head coach harshly dismissed, it made sense to swap a manager still trying to carve out a reputation at the very highest level for one who was unquestionably elite.

Tuchel met his remit across those first few months of his appointment, overturning a deficit to win the German top flight, and secure an 11th straight title. In the Champions League, Bayern were battered by City, but who could blame them? Pep Guardiola's treble winners were by some distance the best side in Europe.

This season was supposed to signal change. Tuchel, with a summer to work, and Harry Kane to deploy up front, figured to have his side worked out in full. The Bavarians were supposed to be a dominant force, and legitimate Champions League competitors once again.

Things haven't panned out. Kane may have been banging in the goals at a frightening rate, but there are issues all over the pitch, and behind the scenes. Bayern's performances have been underwhelming, while a mixture of injuries and individual errors have seen them fall out of cup competitions, and let the league slip to Alonso's dominant Leverkusen side. Tuchel, of course, is set to leave at the end of the season, while a number of key players, including Alphonso Davies, Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich, face uncertain futures. The change simply hasn't panned out as expected.

But that doesn't mean the fans aren't happy. Earlier this week, an online petition circulated asking for Tuchel to stay in the job. As of Friday evening, it had over 15,000 signatures.

Getty ImagesAlonso, the great hope?

Bayern weren't the only club that thought they might be able to secure the services of Alonso. It was widely assumed that the Bundesliga-winning manager would bolt for a major European club after coaching Leverkusen to a title this season. Such a move would make sense. Alonso is a manager ready for a big job. Give the former Spain midfielder a hefty budget, brand recognition, and a rowdy fanbase, and there is, in theory, no limit to what he might achieve. Add in that he enjoyed some of his best years as a footballer at Bayern, and it made a lot of sense that he might be the head coach in Bavaria before too long.

It hasn't turned out that way, of course. Alonso, surprisingly, has elected to stay for at least one more year, eager to take his invincible side on a Champions League run – or at least stand a chance at defending the title. It left three clubs scrambling for a solution, with Bayern, Liverpool and Real Madrid all forced to pivot their plans.

But it is in Germany where the impact was felt the most. Liverpool, it seemed, had cornered the market for the other big names, in the running for the likes of Ruben Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi. And although they seem to be on the brink of hiring Feyenoord boss Arne Slot, Bayern haven't been linked with those the English club passed on. It wasn't Alonso or bust at Bayern, but it was certainly close.

GettyThe other options

Outside of Alonso, the options are admittedly thin. Nagelsmann was reportedly a top target, the now-Germany boss linked with the most ironic of returns after Euro 2024. He wasted little time avoiding a homecoming, however, penning a new deal to stay in charge of the national team until 2026 – thus ruling himself out of the running.

It has left the Bavarians scrambling for options. De Zerbi, Amorim and even Hansi Flick have been linked and swiftly discarded. Rumours of a Jurgen Klopp arrival disappeared as quickly as they materialised. Zinedine Zidane, too, was briefly mentioned. The idea of Unai Emery was floated, but he penned a new deal to stay with Aston Villa.

In what should have been a rich managerial market, the Bavarians are scraping the bottom of the barrel. Still, football director Max Eberl seemed to suggest that a new appointment could be sorted soon.

"I know that time is of the essence," Eberl told . "We want to do it quickly, but we still want to do it as carefully and thoroughly as necessary, and that's the job that Christoph [Freund] and I are doing. But as I said, we are now very, very close and hopefully we will be able to announce something soon."