“I can’t speak for others”

On Tuesday, remaining in the Champions League is at stake for FC Bayern. Thomas Tuchel is particularly in focus.

In the Bundesliga, the championship seems almost impossible with a deficit of ten points, and FC Bayern is already out of the race in the DFB Cup. In the Champions League, the record champions will face Lazio Rome in the second leg of the round of 16. The Italians won the first leg 1-0. If they go out, Tuchel’s job could be in jeopardy. This is also why the game is considered a possible “final” for the coach.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, FC Bayern wants to prevail and get their ticket for the next round. Coach Thomas Tuchel answered questions from journalists in advance.

When asked about his own future, Tuchel remained calm. He isn’t thinking about a premature separation: “Not from my side, I can’t speak for others. (…) But everyone can be sure that no one has more ambition to win the game than I do.”

However, he left his personnel open for the defense center. The candidates are Min-jae Kim, Eric Dier and Matthijs de Ligt. All three are ready for use. Leroy Sané, on the other hand, will return, although not pain-free. “It looks like he can train fully today and has a pain level that he can control,” said Tuchel about the winger, who was still missing in Freiburg.

1:30 p.m. – The last question comes from a British journalist about Harry Kane. Tuchel: “It’s not necessary to motivate him any further. Of course he needs a certain amount of attention, which he gets from me.” There are “no doubts” about his professionalism. He always has self-confidence and a positive impact on the team. “It’s a gift to be his coach.”

1:28 p.m. – “We are challenged overall, it’s not just the couple in central defense,” said Tuchel when asked about his defensive formation without Upamecano.

1:26 p.m. – “I’m a bad loser and I don’t like losing. It’s not easy for me to deal with defeats,” says Tuchel in response to an Italian journalist’s question about his personal well-being. “I will grow from it, I believe in that.”

1:25 p.m. – He says to the other staff: “Serge (Gnabry, editor’s note) you can tell that he was missing for a long time.” There is room on the bench, but it will probably take a while. Alphonso Davies could also be in the starting line-up, 90 minutes would be possible. “He could probably get through it.” But Tuchel doesn’t want to betray the central defense.

1:23 p.m. – “We need a good game, minute for minute. (…) We need an emotional stadium,” said Tuchel.

1:21 p.m. – Lazio’s strength didn’t surprise Bayern, but: “We will try to play more aggressively and will have to play with more conviction.” The initial phase in Rome is a good orientation.

1:19 p.m. – Leroy Sané will play, but not without pain. “It looks like he’s able to train fully today and has a pain level that’s manageable for him.”

1:17 p.m. – Is patience necessary? “We can’t lose our head if everything doesn’t work out right away. The loss of structure in Freiburg ensured that we caught a lot of counterattacks. (…) We don’t have time to waste. We can’t wait until we get the ball play at the top.”

1:16 p.m. – “The effort and will is not the problem. We still have fluctuations in every game,” said the 50-year-old.

1:15 p.m. – When asked about the “final,” Tuchel says: “Not from my side, I can’t speak for others. But everyone can be sure that no one has more ambition to win the game than I do.”

1:13 p.m. – Are the players still listening to Tuchel? “Yes, that’s why we played a good second half against Freiburg.” In terms of emotion, his team reacted as if they had had a knockout game.

1:12 p.m. – About the necessary ease, he says: “Good question, I can’t answer that at all. The situation is clear, but pressure is part of a certain top performance.” He further emphasizes: “We need a win by two goals against a Sarri team, the hurdle is very high.”