Thomas Tuchel actually came to Bayern to win titles, preferably three. The only thing left for them is the Bundesliga – and even that will be tricky. The situation is also tricky at Hertha BSC, FC Bayern’s next opponent.
Of course, Thomas Tuchel was asked about Uli Hoeneß in the days before the Bundesliga game between FC Bayern and Hertha BSC. Hoeneß was a lot at Bayern: player, manager, chairman of the board, president. He was always powerful. Today Hoeneß, 71, is no longer president, but honorary president. He is still powerful. The excitement was also great when Hoeneß suddenly appeared on the training ground on Wednesday (04/26/2023).
When Tuchel was asked two days later what exactly Hoeneß wanted, he said: “He really just wanted to tell me who was playing at the weekend – I saw that right away.” Of course it was a joke, obviously Tuchel, 49, hasn’t lost his sense of humor. Otherwise he has lost a lot. Actually, he had become a coach in Munich at the end of March to save Bayern the season. Everyone likes to win titles: Champions League, DFB Cup, Bundesliga.
Bayern lost three of Tuchel’s first seven games as coach, they were eliminated from the DFB Cup and the Champions League. That leaves the championship – only Bayern Munich is only second after the defeat against Mainz last weekend.
Borussia Dortmund now has better chances in the championship race. There are still five days to play, and in Munich and Dortmund they are currently writing a story about submitting and drawing. Both will only play at the same time on the 34th matchday.
In Munich they now have to hope that BVB will slip up
This weekend, when the 30th match day takes place, you will certainly follow FC Bayern closely how BVB fares against Bochum on Friday evening. Two days later, Bayern are also challenged when Hertha BSC travels to Munich (Sunday, from 3.20 p.m. in the audio stream at sportschau.de).
“The goal now has to be to get 15 points. If we continue to play like this, so unstable, then we won’t succeed.”, says Tuchel. Ten years in a row they were champions in Munich, for an eleventh title a lot would have to come together. Bayern would have to meet their coach’s demand, i.e. win every game. And they are dependent on BVB at the same time. That Dortmund doesn’t always win.
What Bayern and Hertha have in common
Only victories help FC Bayern now – and they have that in common with their opponents from Berlin. But that was it with the similarities. Hertha is bottom of the table, three points behind relegation place 16, and five points behind in 15th place.
But they had such big plans in Berlin: the Windhorst millions, “Big City Club”, everyone knew. And the past again. Lars Windhorst is no longer with Hertha, and they no longer want to know anything about the “Big City Club”. Doesn’t fit so well with the development of a club that has to tremble again to stay up in the Bundesliga.
After all, there is a new hope in the final sprint, it’s an old acquaintance: Pal Dardai, 47, has twice saved Hertha from relegation, but his third rescue mission began last weekend with a 2-4 defeat against Werder Bremen. And now Bayern are still waiting.
“Bayern is a hungry lion”, said Dardai, and he probably meant: hungry lions are dangerous animals, one should beware of them. There are simpler tasks in German football.