Thomas Tuchel insists he will give everything to Bayern Munich ahead of his departure in the summer and hopes the decision over his future allows the team to play with “freedom”.

Tuchel has been unable to arrest a downturn in form, and speculation over his position came to a head this week when the club announced he would be leaving at the end of the current campaign.

Saturday’s game against RB Leipzig will be his first in charge since the news became public, with Bayern looking to end a three-game losing streak following losses to title rivals Bayer Leverkusen, Lazio and Bochum.

And while there is a possibility Tuchel could be seen as a lame duck coach over the coming months, he thinks the removal of uncertainty over his role could spark an upturn.

“I view it professionally and unemotionally. It’s a professional sport at the highest level,” he said of his shortened reign.

“There aren’t guilty individuals. I don’t think I’m the only problem, but I have responsibility. Now we have a new situation, it’s resolved, which hopefully makes it clear and brings freedom.

“This job only works if I give 100 per cent of myself. I have a very high professional expectation of myself and that’s completely dedicated to Bayern Munich until the end of the season. We have aims: we’re going for the maximum in the league and won’t give up until it’s over. In the Champions League we still have a second leg (against Lazio), so we are playing for maximum success.”

Tuchel resisted the temptation to divert blame away from himself and on to his players, but accepted the performance levels on matchday had been falling consistently short of expectations.

“The management know my analysis, which is also very self-critical. But it’s definitely not an analysis for the public,” he said.

“I’m not personally disappointed in the players. We have high standards, that won’t change. I’ve never had the feeling that there’s a big problem but there is a glaring discrepancy between the way we’re training and the way we’re playing. We’ve trained at a good level but that’s no guarantee that we’ll produce a good performance.”

Injuries have upset Bayern’s rhythm this term and they continue to be stretched, with Dayot Upamecano suspended and an injury list that contains Kingsley Coman, Sacha Boey, Noussair Mazraoui, Bouna Sarr, Serge Gnabry and Alphonso Davies.

Leipzig have proved tricky opponents in recent times, taking two draws and two wins from their last four games against Bayern.

Dani Olmo bagged a hat-trick when his side romped to a 3-0 win in the Super Cup final last August, a memory that still burns bright with the Spaniard.

“I would say it was a perfect game from all of us and for me individually to score three goals in Munich, in the Allianz, and to be able to win a trophy,” he said.

“It was for sure one of my best performances but we have to keep going because football never stops and now we have another chance. Bayern is always the opponent that motivates us. It’s always special.”

Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso has insisted there is “nothing new to say” regarding fresh speculation over his future.

Alonso has been heavily linked with the Liverpool job since Jurgen Klopp announced last month he would step down at the end of the campaign, but the Premier League club now face competition from Bayern Munich.

It was revealed on Wednesday that current Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel will leave his position at the conclusion of the season – increasing the scrutiny on Alonso.

The former Liverpool and Bayern midfielder has enjoyed an excellent campaign in charge of Leverkusen, establishing an eight-point lead at the Bundesliga summit and guiding them through to the last 16 of the Europa League ahead of Friday’s league visit of Mainz.

Alonso faced the media on Thursday and started his press conference by shutting down speculation over his future.

“Maybe you have some questions about my future, but I’m sorry, I have nothing new to say. I wanted to say that beforehand,” he told a press conference, via Bild.

“Right now I’m the (Leverkusen) coach. That’s for sure. I have nothing new to say for the future. We will see. It’s normal that there are questions, but it’s off topic now. Now is not the time for me to talk much about it.”

Asked if Bayern had contacted him since the Tuchel announcement, Alonso replied: “I understand the question, but I have to say again that I have nothing new to say. It’s just hypothetical.”

 

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The 42-year-old also insisted it had been a normal week for his squad and claimed he was currently preparing to be Leverkusen boss next season given his contract runs until 2026.

He said: “I’m assuming that right now.

“This week was normal. It was quiet for us. We had three training sessions. That is normal.

“I know that it is my goal, it is my job, to be successful with the team. This is my work. We are in a very good situation right now. We want to continue like this. That’s enough for me.”

Bayern Munich’s shock defeat to Bochum on Sunday means they have lost three games in a row for the first time since 2015.

England captain Harry Kane’s late goal was not enough to avoid a 3-2 defeat, with Kevin Stoger’s penalty proving decisive.

That followed their 3-0 setback at title rivals Bayer Leverkusen, who now lead the Bundesliga by eight points, and 1-0 Champions League first-leg loss to Lazio.

Coach Thomas Tuchel insisted the Bochum result was “not deserved” after an improved performance but the losing run is the worst, excluding friendlies, since May 2015.

Pep Guardiola’s side on that occasion suffered through a very similar run starting with a 2-0 league defeat to Leverkusen.

Again a Champions League defeat followed – 3-0 to Barcelona in the semi-final first leg, with two late goals from Lionel Messi and one from Neymar – and they then suffered a Bundesliga shock against Augsburg.

Possibly the more appropriate post-match quote came from midfielder Leon Goretzka, who told the club’s website: “It feels like a horror film that doesn’t stop. Everything is going against us.”

The central protagonist in that storyline is defender Dayot Upamecano – remarkably, he has been sent off for conceding the penalties that led to the winning goals for both Lazio and Bochum.

Dayot Upamecano was sent off for the second time in five days as Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga title challenge suffered a massive blow with a 3-2 defeat at lowly Bochum.

In a game twice disrupted by fan protests, Jamal Musiala gave the visitors an early lead, but Bochum hit back through Takuma Asano and Keven Schlotterbeck before Bayern defender Upamecano was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Kevin Stoger converted the resulting penalty and although Harry Kane pulled one back with his 25th goal of the season, Bochum held on for a famous win which eased their relegation fears and lifted them to 11th in the table.

Bayern’s third straight defeat in all competitions leaves them eight points adrift of leaders Bayer Leverkusen and increases the pressure on manager Thomas Tuchel, who had urged his players to “turn around the mood” against opponents they thrashed 7-0 in the reverse fixture in September.

The visitors duly dominated the early stages and deservedly opened the scoring in the 14th minute as Musiala rifled an unstoppable shot into the top corner after seeing his initial effort saved by Manuel Riemann.

Musiala then turned provider with a delightful pass with the outside of his right foot to set Kane racing clear, only for the England captain to blaze his shot high over the bar.

Kane felt the ball had bobbled just before he hit it and looked down in disgust at the Ruhrstadion turf, but that cut little ice with a furious Thomas Muller, who had been unmarked in acres of space to Kane’s right.

Play was then halted for around 15 minutes after fans threw tennis balls on to the pitch in the latest protests against a proposed deal to sell a stake in Bundesliga rights to a private equity investor.

Both sets of players were moved to the sidelines but it was Bayern who were caught cold when play eventually resumed, a swift counter-attack seeing Anthony Losilla set up Asano to fire a low shot across Manuel Neuer and into the bottom corner.

The home side suddenly had all the momentum and it was no surprise when they took the lead six minutes later, Schlotterbeck heading home from close range from Stoger’s corner.

Another protest delayed play by around eight minutes in the second half, Losilla going over to speak to some of the home fans before the players briefly headed to the dressing rooms.

Bayern reacted better to the second stoppage than they did the first, substitute Leroy Sane seeing his goalbound volley bravely blocked and Bryan Zaragoza’s effort saved by Riemann, but it was the home side who found the all-important next goal.

Upamecano, who was also sent off in the Champions League defeat at Lazio on Wednesday, picked up his second yellow card of the game for an elbow on Schlotterbeck as they jumped for the ball and Stoger made no mistake with the penalty, despite Neuer getting his left hand to the ball.

Kane pulled one back with a simple tap-in after being set up by Mathys Tel but could only direct a far-post header straight at Riemann in the second minute of stoppage time and Bochum clung on for the win.

Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel has urged his team to turn things around following their disappointing Champions League defeat to Lazio.

Bayern were beaten 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday thanks to Ciro Immobile’s penalty after Dayot Upamecano was sent off for a late challenge on Gustav Isaksen.

The result came days after a disappointing 3-0 loss to Xabi Alonso’s high-flying Bayer Leverkusen and Tuchel insists his side are working to “turn around the mood”.

Reflecting on the Lazio game, he told a press conference: “It’s an unusual situation. The mood is obviously down because we expected a reaction from ourselves.

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“The defeat is still only a first-leg defeat. We’re not out of the Champions League. Everyone wants to turn around the mood.

“From my experience, that only happens through work on the training ground, and we tried that yesterday. We’ll definitely give our all to bring the energy to turn things around.”

Leverkusen are five points clear of Bayern at the top of the Bundesliga going into this weekend’s action and up next for Tuchel’s side is a trip to Bochum.

Bayern utterly dominated in the reverse fixture at the Allianz Arena in September where England captain Harry Kane bagged a hat-trick as the Bavarian side emerged with a 7-0 victory.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Matthijs de Ligt, Leroy Sane and Mathys Tel were also on target as Bayern battered Bochum, but Tuchel expects a “hard-fought game” on Sunday.

“We need to get back that ease, that’s tough. I’m not expecting a walk in the park in Bochum,” he said.

“It’ll be a tough pitch, tough opponent who have got good results lately. A physical opponent.

“Bochum played very well against Stuttgart (a 1-0 win) and Augsburg (a 1-1 draw), I’m expecting a very hard-fought game. We’ve also adapted our training, but that’s normal.

“I’m not expecting a deep, tactically well-organised defensive block that just lets us have the ball, but one that gets at us high up the pitch, plays long balls, fights for the ball.

“It’s a completely new challenge, it doesn’t matter who it is. At Bayern it’s about always getting back up and putting your neck on the line.

“We’re still in second place. We don’t need to be ashamed of that. We don’t need any sympathy.”

Kane leads the goalscoring charts in the Bundesliga with 24 so far this season, but struggled to make an impact in the Lazio defeat and Tuchel admitted there has been a “discrepancy” between training and matches in providing chances for the England international.

“Harry takes care of himself. He doesn’t need me. He’s not happy with the connection in games – neither are we,” Tuchel said.

“I’ve rarely seen such a discrepancy between training and matches. The way he scores in training, the way he puts his chances away – it’s incredible. It’s world-class. But then we rarely find him in matches.

“He acts like a captain. Everything’s okay with him.”

Bayern Munich full-back Sacha Boey is facing several weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

Tests have revealed the 23-year-old Frenchman, who joined the club from Galatasaray last month, suffered “a large tear” in his left hamstring during training.

A statement on the club’s official website read: “FC Bayern will be without Sacha Boey for the coming weeks after the 23-year-old January arrival suffered a large tear in his left hamstring in training.

“This is the result of examination by the FC Bayern medical department.”

Boey started last Saturday’s 3-0 Bundesliga defeat at Bayer Leverkusen – his second appearance for the club – but was an unused substitute as the German champions went down 1-0 at Lazio in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.

The news represents a fresh blow for Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel, who headed for Rome under intense pressure after the defeat by Leverkusen left his side five points adrift of the leaders.

Tuchel’s men head for Bochum on Sunday, host fifth-placed RB Leipzig and travel to Freiburg in the league before the second leg of their last 16 clash with Lazio on March 5.

Jeremie Frimpong fired into an empty net in stoppage time to cap Bayer Leverkusen’s outstanding 3-0 win over Bayern Munich as they celebrated carnival weekend in the Rhineland by moving five points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.

Josip Stanisic, the man on loan from Bayern, opened the scoring in the 18th minute before Alex Grimaldo doubled the advantage five minutes into the second half, but Frimpong added an exclamation mark after Manuel Neuer came up for a corner and Leverkusen broke to punish him.

Bayern had more of the ball but throughout the night it always felt as though Xabi Alonso’s side were the more dangerous, and this was a huge statement in their bid to win a first Bundesliga title and banish the nickname Vizekuzen – a mark of the five times they have finished runners-up.

The match at the BayArena kicked off eight minutes late after fans threw toy balls and other items onto the pitch as part of ongoing protests against the prospect of outside investment into the Bundesliga, and once play began it was Bayern who appeared to be on the front foot.

But while Leverkusen were happy to invite the visitors on to them, they were simply waiting for the moment to counter.

Their first shot at goal came in the 11th minute but Amine Adli’s effort lacked the power to trouble Neuer. Adli threatened again seven minutes later before Kim Min-jae got a foot in just in time, but Bayern were asleep from the resulting throw-in and were made to pay.

Robert Andrich drilled in a low ball across the face of goal and the Bayern defence stood still as Stanisic arrived to fire home, left all alone by Sacho Boey, usually a right-back but deployed on the left here in his second appearance since joining from Galatasaray last month.

Adli had a superb chance to get a second just before half-time as Granit Xhaka’s pin-point pass put him clean through on goal, but Dayot Upamecano recovered to get a toe on the ball, poking it back to Neuer.

It took only five minutes of the second half for the second to arrive. Grimaldo played a neat one-two with Nathan Tella to carve open the Bayern defence before beating Neuer at his near post with a rising shot.

Bayern were rocking, and there was chaos in their penalty area soon after, with Eric Dier’s cross hitting the arm of Leon Goretzka before bobbling back to Neuer, with a VAR check for handball coming to nothing.

Grimaldo hit the crossbar direct from a corner just after the hour as the ball dramatically dipped, but it bounced to safety.

Bayern tried to up the ante as Thomas Tuchel turned to his bench but struggled to create any real opportunities for a frustrated Harry Kane.

Instead, Leverkusen looked more likely to score again. Frimpong had already hit a post at the end of one late counter-attack, but had the final say after Neuer failed to get on the end of the corner and he raced down the pitch to fire into the unguarded net.

Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel is targeting a “statement performance” to end the 30-match unbeaten run of title rivals Bayer Leverkusen.

Leverkusen hold a two-point lead over Saturday’s visitors at the top of the Bundesliga after winning 16 and drawing four of their 20 league games this season.

Xabi Alonso’s side can also boast a 100 per cent record in the group stage of the Europa League and twice came from behind in the German Cup on Tuesday to beat Stuttgart 3-2 and advance to the semi-finals.

However, Bayern can call on their experience of winning 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles and Tuchel believes his side have room for improvement as they approach the business end of the season.

“It’s exciting that two teams are earning points at such a high level,” Tuchel told a pre-match press conference.

“We’ve also had a very good campaign in terms of our history. We’re completely focused on what we can do. We want a statement performance. If we want to win, we need a top performance.

“It’s the week in which we want to prove ourselves. We’re playing for our own objectives, and our objective is to step things up a notch, and then we can be fine in every game. Then we’ve got the individual quality for it. We’re ready to improve.”

Tuchel’s side also have the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Lazio to look forward to and the 50-year-old added: “We have a very attractive week ahead of us.

“A win for Leverkusen opens up a gap, but it won’t be over, although it feels like a special moment to lay your cards on the table. It’s about challenging ourselves and therefore the opponent from the first second to the last.

“We want to take the next step. Leverkusen are having an outstanding season. We’ve still got room for improvement. We feel ready to take the next step and want to push Leverkusen.”

Alphonso Davies remains sidelined with a tendon injury but Joshua Kimmich, Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano have returned to training and are set to be in the matchday squad.

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who has been struggling with a knee problem, was set to take part in training on Friday before a decision is taken over whether he or Sven Ulreich will make the starting XI.

Harry Kane is confident he will win silverware with Bayern Munich this season before trying to lead England to Euro 2024 glory in Germany.

The 30-year-old is blazing a trail in the Bundesliga following his summer move from Tottenham, scoring 28 goals in 27 games as Bayern are locked in a title race with Bayer Leverkusen and also in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

He hopes his goals continue Bayern’s domination of German football before aiming for more glory in his new homeland with England in the European Championship.

 

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“I’m feeling confident,” he told the PA news agency. “Bayern Munich have been winning their league for the last 11 years or so and also won the Champions League a few years ago, there’s an expectation to be winning every trophy that we’re in.

“The focus is to win both tournaments.”

Asked whether the summer tournament was England’s best chance of ending their trophy drought, he said: “I would probably say ‘yes’, if you look how close we got in the last Euros and getting knocked out in the quarter-final to a great team in France.

“I am just looking at it from a point of view where our experiences as a team, our different ages in terms of having good younger players, good experienced players, young exciting players.

“When you look around the European nations now, we will be looked at as one of the favourites.

“There won’t be too many teams wanting to play us but games in tournaments are hard to win, they’re not easy, that’s why we haven’t won one in 60 years.

“We have to go there and try and achieve it. A great opportunity for us. We’re in a great moment as a team, but as always, we have to go there and make it happen so it is an exciting challenge to do that but a tough one as well.”

As he enters the second phase of his career, Kane has already shown his sustainability in the game, but is also tackling the matter off the pitch.

He has invested in golf sportswear brand Reflo, whose mission is to become the most sustainable apparel brand in the world by using materials derived from single-use plastic waste.

Kane, who will wear the Reflo brand when playing pro-am and exhibition competitions, has tackled social issues such as children’s mental health through his Harry Kane Foundation and now wants to learn more about sustainability.

“It’s more me as a father looking into the future and looking at my kids and thinking, ‘What can I do to help their future’,” he said.

“Sustainability is something that I know not too much about, I am still learning and getting to know more about it but when I am looking to partner or invest in brands, I want to see what they are doing for the future as well.

“Reflo are definitely hitting that market and trying to help a lot of other people understand about being sustainable and the impact that can have on the world itself. I am hoping to learn more as the relationship grows.”

Reflo have pledged to plant 500 trees for every goal that Kane scores in the 2023/24 season so they are going to be busy, with the England captain hitting the ground running in Germany.

Kane became a record breaker twice in the space of two months last season as he broke Jimmy Greaves’ all-time scoring for Tottenham and then became England’s greatest ever scorer the following month.

He has another achievement in his sights with Bayern as he chases down Robert Lewandowski’s seasonal record of 41 goals in the Bundesliga.

Kane, with 24 goals in 20 games so far, admitted he did not expect to be as prolific as he has been but was not focusing on eclipsing Lewandowski’s tally just yet.

“I didn’t know what to expect. I always believed in myself and I had scored goals every year in the Premier League and that’s what I wanted to go and do in the Bundesliga,” he added.

“I probably didn’t picture scoring as many goals as I have now at this stage of the season. But you know me, I don’t like to put a limit on anything.

“I don’t like to think about records in particular, they are a consequence of hard work and doing all the little stuff off the pitch that put you to where you are on it.

“My focus is on the short term and then as we get closer and we get towards the end of the season and I am in touching distance, then for sure it will be something I would love to achieve.”

Harry Kane is proud of how he handled a “difficult” time settling into his new life in Germany.

The England captain swapped London for Munich last summer as he left boyhood club Tottenham to join Bayern.

He spent the first few months of his stay in Germany in a hotel as his wife Kate and their children stayed behind before they all made the move into a new house after Christmas and a new chapter in their lives is now in full swing.

 

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You would never have known Kane was finding it tough given his performances on the pitch, scoring 28 goals in his first 27 games for Bayern.

“It wasn’t easy, the first four or five months being in the hotel and being away from the family,” he told the PA news agency.

“That was for sure difficult so I was proud of the way I was still able to perform on the pitch in those circumstances.

“We’ve had a good winter break and everyone came back with me, the kids are in school, we have got the house.

“Month by month it starts to feel more like home, you meet parents at school, my wife is meeting new friends and you just start to meet new people and see new things.

“Everyone has been fantastic, all the fans here, the club have been great and trying to make me welcome and so far it is nothing but praise for everyone here.”

Now that things are settling down, he cannot wait for the German golf courses to reopen.

The winter weather means he has been unable to play much of his beloved golf lately – though he has still been busy, investing in sportswear brand Reflo, whose mission is to become the most sustainable apparel brand in the world by using materials derived from single-use plastic waste.

Kane, who will wear the Reflo brand when playing pro-am and exhibition competitions, said: “The weather, since the snow hit us we have been struggling, I don’t think the courses open here until March so I have been hitting the golf simulator a little bit and trying to stay in a decent shape for now.

“That is one thing I am looking forward to, I am starting to feel at home with the family, the kids are in school so the next step is to start finding the golf courses when I get some alone time with friends.”

Kane has been determined to immerse himself in the culture of Munich and that includes learning the language.

So how is he getting on?

“I’ve started German lessons and have these at least once or twice a week,” he said.

“I want to fit in as much as possible and learning the language is important and I’m willing to try.

“The Bayern fans are great, I hear them chanting lots of songs throughout the matches.”

:: Harry Kane is a golf ambassador for sustainable performancewear brand Reflo. To find out more about the apparel, visit Reflo.com

Harry Kane headed his 24th Bundesliga goal of the season as Bayern Munich came from behind to beat Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 at the Allianz Arena and stay two points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Monchengladbach, who had held Leverkusen 0-0 a week earlier, grabbed the lead through Nico Elvedi’s 35th-minute finish before Aleksandar Pavlovic equalised just prior to the interval.

Kane then nodded home in the 70th minute as he became the fastest player to reach 24 Bundesliga goals, doing so in 20 games to surpass Erling Haaland’s mark of 25, and equalled Luca Toni for most goals in a maiden season with the club.

Matthijs de Ligt added a late header of his own as the two-point gap was retained between second-placed Bayern and Leverkusen, who won 2-0 at bottom side Darmstadt, ahead of the top two meeting at BayArena next Saturday.

Leroy Sane was to the fore as Thomas Tuchel’s champions looked to make an early breakthrough, cracking one shot against the bar and sending another wide.

Monchengladbach made an ambitious attempt in the 27th minute with Florian Neuhaus’ shot from the halfway line being caught by Manuel Neuer, before the goalkeeper’s opposite number Moritz Nicolas did well to tip a Kane free-kick over the bar.

Four minutes later the visitors were ahead as Neuer’s ball to Thomas Muller was intercepted by Elvedi, who played a one-two with Jordan and side-footed into the bottom corner of the net.

Bayern hit back in the final minute of normal time before the break when Pavlovic fired past Nicolas having been teed up by Muller, the 19-year-old midfielder registering his second Bayern goal a week on from his first in the 3-2 win at Augsburg.

Jamal Musiala found Nicolas’ side-netting early in the second half and Kane subsequently had a shot saved.

The England captain then made it 2-1 when Leon Goretzka delivered the ball into the box, Nicolas got a glove to the ball under pressure from Muller but could only send it bouncing to Kane and he headed in.

De Ligt extended the advantage in the 86th minute, meeting Sane’s free-kick with a powerful header beyond Nicolas.

And there was almost a fourth for Bayern on 89 minutes via another header, substitute Mathys Tel seeing his effort saved.

Thomas Tuchel is expected to lead Bayern Munich against Borussia Monchengladbach despite the head coach being hit by flu in recent days.

The former Chelsea boss missed training on Wednesday and Thursday through the illness and has looked a doubt for Saturday’s Bundesliga clash at the Allianz Arena.

Sporting director Christoph Freund stood in at the pre-match press conference but said Tuchel would “in all likelihood” be on the touchline as Bayern look to heap pressure on Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

“Thomas will come down to Sabener Strasse (training ground) today and take training,” Freund said. “He’s getting better. We’re positive he can be at the game tomorrow.”

Tuchel was pictured later on Friday taking training on the eve of the Gladbach game, with Noussair Mazraoui back with the group following Morocco’s exit from the Africa Cup of Nations.

Joshua Kimmich returned to light training after a shoulder injury and new signing Bryan Zaragoza worked with his new team-mates for the first time.

Bayern announced in December that a deal had been reached with Granada to sign the 22-year-old forward at the end of the season, but injuries saw him arrive earlier than planned in a loan switch.

Sporting director Freund said: “It wasn’t the original plan. Due to the injuries, we discussed what we could do. We then decided we’d tried to bring him now. It was a last-minute thing.

 

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“I was in Granada on Monday, had good discussions and were able to reach an agreement. We’re very happy Bryan is here now.”

 

Zaragoza, speaking at his unveiling, added: “The plan was for me to come in the summer.

“The situation is how it is. This is a unique chance for me. I’m very grateful to Granada, but this was a big chance for me.”

Zaragoza is the third first-team signing made by Bayern during the winter transfer window after Eric Dier and Sacha Boey joined from Tottenham and Galatasaray respectively.

Sporting director Freund said: “We wanted to strengthen at the back with a centre-back and right-back. We’re happy.

“What’s happened with Bryan wasn’t the plan, but we reacted to the situation and were able to bring it forward. I’m very happy about that.

“Whether it’s all going to work out, we’ll see in the coming weeks and months. I’m positive and pleased we’re now well set.”

Gladbach will be hoping to darken the mood in Munich, with boss Gerardo Seoane looking to tweak the set-up that earned a 0-0 draw at leaders Leverkusen last weekend.

 

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“When you play against the top teams, you need to play really well across the board,” he said. “The other team also has to have an off day.

 

“From time to time against Leverkusen, we wanted to press higher up the pitch and go on the attack, but we didn’t manage to do that.

“Sitting back worked well, however. We’ll have to be quicker on the counter and use space better than we did last weekend against Bayern.

“We’re planning on preparing as much as we can for the opposition and playing as well as we can in all departments.”

Bayern Munich have agreed a short-term loan deal to bring Granada forward Bryan Zaragoza to the Bundesliga ahead of schedule.

The German champions announced in December the 22-year-old would be joining them on a five-year contract from the summer of 2024.

Injuries to key players, however, have prompted Bayern to move into the transfer market and they have secured the services of Zaragoza early on loan until the end of the season.

Zaragoza will join up with Thomas Tuchel’s squad immediately.

Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund told the club’s website: “In football you always have to be flexible and so we’ve reacted to the current situation.

“An agreement like this involves three parties and we’re happy that Bryan Zaragoza is joining us earlier than agreed.

“Bryan sees his future at FC Bayern – that future is beginning now. We’re very pleased that he’ll strengthen our squad already for the second half of the season.”

Zaragoza, who helped Granada win promotion to LaLiga last season, joins a Bayern side currently trailing Bayer Leverkusen by two points in a tight title race.

Zaragoza said: “I’m moving to FC Bayern to grow at one of the biggest clubs in the world.

“I’m looking forward to what’s coming. We’re aiming high.”

Bayern Munich have hit out at suggestions that head coach Thomas Tuchel has touted himself as a replacement for outgoing Barcelona boss Xavi.

Xavi revealed in the wake of Barca’s 5-3 home defeat by Villarreal on Saturday that he would leave the club this summer, sparking a frenzy of speculation over potential successors.

A day later, Tuchel spoke about his ambition to work in Spain one day at a fan event, prompting claims he was setting out his stall for the post soon to be vacated by Xavi, much to the annoyance of his current employers.

In a statement issued via Bayern’s official website on Monday, chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen and sporting director Christoph Freund said: “Our head coach Thomas Tuchel was asked by supporters on Sunday as part of a fan club visit about his coaching career and his previous experiences abroad at Paris St Germain and Chelsea, and naturally provided information about this during the discussion.

“He also answered general questions from fans about Spain as a footballing country. He never spoke about Xavi Hernandez and his successor, as was falsely claimed afterwards.

“We will no longer accept such non-factual statements directed against our coach, which always come from the same source.”

Tuchel, who took charge at the Allianz Arena in March last year, has found himself under pressure in recent weeks with the Bundesliga champions trailing current leaders Bayer Leverkusen in a two-horse title race.

However, that has eased somewhat in the last week courtesy of an edgy 1-0 win over Union Berlin in their game in hand and a 3-2 victory at Augsburg on Saturday which reduced the gap to just two points as a result of Leverkusen’s 0-0 home draw with Borussia Monchengladbach.

Marie-Louise Eta praised Union Berlin’s display in their victory against Darmstadt after the history-making assistant coach stood in for media duties on Sunday.

Union beat relegation rivals Darmstadt 1-0 to move five points clear of the Bundesliga’s bottom three in the absence of suspended first-team coach Nenad Bjelica, who started a three-match ban after shoving Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane on Wednesday.

Danijel Jumic took charge in Bjelica’s stead, with fellow assistant Eta – who this season has become the first female coach to be actively involved at a men’s team in Bundesliga and Champions League history – assisting him on the sideline and handling the post-match press conference.

“We’re delighted that we were able to put in such a good performance,” she said.

“We did what we set out to do on the pitch.”

The 32-year-old former Germany youth international was named as an assistant first-team coach at the capital club earlier this season.

A Women’s Champions League winner with Turbine Potsdam in 2010, Eta had previously worked in the youth set-up at Union.

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