Bizarre interview: Tuchel irritated after Bayern win
If Thomas Tuchel was happy on Saturday evening, then the FC Bayern coach was extremely good at hiding it. Even before kick-off of the top match at Borussia Dortmund, he appeared extremely irritable for the interview on Sky, refusing to answer questions or only answering them briefly. During the game, which was won in impressive fashion 4:0 (2:0), he was ranting like a batshit, was shown a yellow card by referee Deniz Aytekin and was reluctant to calm down. And even when his splendidly performing team had once again blitzed the apathetic BVB, Tuchel did not calm down. Quite the opposite. He was completely at ease in the interview on Sky and at the press conference.
"Despite a rift in the team with the coach? Despite no further development? What a surprise," was Tuchel's bitingly ironic response to the first question. It was just the intro to a memorable performance that completely contradicted his own words on Friday. That was the first time he had spoken after Wednesday evening's cup debacle at third-division side 1. FC Saarbrücken. His team had first played terribly badly, then well, but failed to score and finally collapsed in grotesque fashion against the completely exhausted Saarland side in the 96th minute.
"It's difficult to refute critical voices now. We have to endure this, let it pass and stand together, carry on." He did not want to read what was written, "not the praise and certainly not the criticism, because that always does something to you". Criticism, from whatever side, is legitimate. And now this. Now this reckoning.The criticism, which was actually ignored, had obviously done something to Tuchel.
"When I'm through, I want to leave"
Asked by Sky presenter Sebastian Hellmann about the obvious anger and irony, the Bayern coach said: "Yes, so? That's not allowed? You don't like that?" And he continued: "Lothar certainly knows, and if he doesn't know, Didi knows." Hamann wasn't there, but Matthäus was. And Tuchel went on at him. "Then you do it today too, you don't usually hold back. Lothar can do it, otherwise Didi can do it." The 50-year-old refused to engage in any further discussion, exchange or debate with Matthäus, raging: "I don't want to get into the discussion at all, when I'm through I want to leave, it's too much for me." Despite his time in Paris, Tuchel did not throw in any French chunks. After all.
He said he was hearing about bad phases, "yet we have two league draws and are leading our Champions League group. Now we've won 4:0, you have to do a 180-degree turnaround - have fun!" On his way out, he gushed: "We've heard a lot of things that are wrong with us - it can't have been that bad." You've got the job, you can call it what you like. Nobody is angry."
In fact, the dispute between Tuchel and the two opinionated experts has a long history. Both Matthäus, but above all Hamann, had repeatedly criticized the fact that Munich were not developing this season. They missed a clear game idea, a recognizable coaching signature, they missed control and dominance. They saw many FC Bayern victories, almost all built on the individual quality of a Leroy Sané, a Harry Kane, a Jamal Musiala and not on a functioning collective.
"Only FCB will become German champions"
The fact that this was disproved on Saturday evening at the old Westfalenstadion in Dortmund makes Tuchel's performance even more bizarre. And so Munich's furious victory, Harry Kane's phenomenal goal show - he scored his Bundesliga goals 13 to 15 - and BVB's next panic attack in the classic clattering giant versus gripping giant duel were overshadowed by the coach's absence. The question of "why" will be the overriding theme of the next few days, the next round of experts.
Yet this match would have deserved a different direction much more: the remarkable resurrection of Munich, who mercilessly overran the completely disillusioned team with their fast-paced soccer. It was 2-0 after just nine minutes: Dayot Upamecano, whose involvement, like that of Leon Goretzka, had been hanging by a thread, scored with a header from a corner (4th).
Bayern then played the perfect counter-attack. Leroy Sané initiated it with a heel, Goretzka played brilliantly back to Sané, who crossed for Kane and this classic was already decided. Dortmund struggled, but were able to put up a tough fight against the superior visitors. They played arguably the best game of the Tuchel era and later celebrated as a collective in front of the fans. They sang: "Only FCB will be German champions", and on this evening, the team made a case for it. At least the gap to league leaders Bayer 04 Leverkusen did not get any bigger and is still two points.
"Tuchel's remarks about Dortmund in the Soccer Bundesliga were not well-received, as he questioned their development despite their recent draw against FC Bayern Munich."
"Despite his criticism towards Borussia Dortmund, Thomas Tuchel praised his own team's performance in the Soccer Bundesliga game, highlighting their impressive victory against the yellow-blacks."
Source: www.ntv.de
