When asked about the possibly greater appreciation of himself in England than in Germany, Thomas Tuchel took a quick breath, took a moment and then answered: “Yes.” The 50-year-old explained in an interview with ESPN in January He coached Chelsea FC from 2021 to September 2022 and won the Champions League with the Blues: “I think that we treat each other very critically in Germany. Especially with players and coaches, not just me.”
There is a picture of one and that will last for years, said Tuchel. Once you get stuck in a drawer, it’s hard to get out of it, said the coach of the German soccer record champions FC Bayern Munich. He’s not complaining, it’s just a fact: “I felt more recognition in England, yes.”
Tuchel is currently in second place in the championship with Bayern. With one game less, the gap to leaders Bayer 04 Leverkusen is four points. The canceled home game against relegation-threatened 1. FC Union Berlin will be rescheduled for January 24th. Bayern have to play in Leverkusen on February 10th. In the Champions League, Tuchel and Munich will face Lazio Rome in the round of 16 four days later.
Tuchel: “We have everything to lose”
Tuchel has a clear plan until the summit against the current Bundesliga leaders Leverkusen. They want to arrive there in a good position to at least overtake Leverkusen in the game, said the Munich coach. “That’s why we have to do our homework now. But the situation is also clear: we have everything to lose. You can win everything,” said Tuchel about the duel Bayern against Bayer, defending champions against challengers. “This time it’s a title split and they are extraordinary. “But you shouldn’t forget Stuttgart, and Leipzig can also make a run at any time,” emphasized Tuchel.
For their part, they would always play against a certain perception. They should have been at the top, they should have done it that way, they shouldn’t have lost the game. And it should have been easier for her. “But it’s never easy,” said Tuchel. “It helps us sharpen our thoughts. I hope it doesn’t block us.” There is no shame in being the hunter. “But it will be a difficult task.”
Meanwhile, Tuchel found many words of praise about his striker Harry Kane: “I clearly believe that there are no limits for Harry.” Even the record of 41 goals set by former Bayern professional Robert Lewandowski is “in danger. Nobody would have ever thought that.” Kane has already scored 21 goals in his 16 games with Bayern in the Bundesliga. Lewandowski had 41 at the end of the 2020/2021 season, setting a record. They need a bit of luck and Kane has to stay fit, emphasized Tuchel.
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Lewandowski moved to FC Barcelona in the summer of 2022, and Kane came to Munich from Tottenham Hostpur in the summer of last year. “It’s a gift,” said Tuchel about working with the 30-year-old captain of the English national team: he feels privileged. “Whatever you tell him, he does it,” explained Tuchel and said of Kane: “He is so humble, but on the pitch he becomes a shark.”