‘I could easily imagine Zinedine Zidane’ – Former Bayern star tips French legend to replace Thomas Tuchel and become Harry Kane’s next manager
The Bundesliga giants revealed last month that Tuchel would stand down as head coach at the conclusion of the season, opening the door to a plethora of management contenders. Zidane, however, has been out of work since his second spell as Real Madrid manager ended in 2021. Former Bayern Munich great Mario Basler has said that the Frenchman, who won three Champions League titles in a row during his first tenure in Madrid, should replace Tuchel.
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WHAT BASLER SAYS
The 55-year-old told German magazine Ran, “There aren’t many options on the coaching market. I also feel that Xabi Alonso will remain at Leverkusen or move to another team, either Madrid or Liverpool. Perhaps he will stay at Leverkusen for another year and then move to Madrid when Carlo Ancelotti departs. “The only person I could easily imagine is Zinedine Zidane.”
However, Basler believes Bayern should not have been so eager in letting Tuchel go, drawing comparisons with the handling of Julian Nagelsmann last year. He continued, “I don’t comprehend Bayern’s personnel judgement. Bayern Munich has taken fast judgements once more, like they did with Julian Nagelsmann years ago. That was also unclear to me. If that situation [Bayern winning the Champions League] occurs, I’m curious to see if Bayern Munich has the character to say, “We made a decision too early. We wish to reverse the judgement. Maybe they’ll meet with Tuchel again and see if they can’t continue for another year or two.
Xabi Alonso Leverkusen 03102024 (C) Getty Images.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
As Basler points out, Bayern are in with a chance of winning the Champions League, a title Tuchel has previously won with Chelsea, after defeating Lazio in the last 16. However, Leverkusen’s exploits under Alonso have left them ten points adrift in the Bundesliga, with the Spanish coach linked with a move abroad in the summer. Bayern are among those prospective bidders, as they try to compete with Liverpool this summer and Real Madrid the next.
Did you know?
In addition to Zidane and Alonso, Jose Mourinho and former Die Roten manager Hansi Flick have been connected with the Bayern post. Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was heavily rumoured early this season, before Tuchel’s fate was announced.
