Bayern: Thomas Tuchel renews his criticism of the game plan – Sports

And because Thomas Tuchel mentioned it himself, it’s perhaps also permissible to imagine it visually: Alphonso Davies wakes up from a short nap in a Cologne hotel on a Friday afternoon and asks himself the classic W questions. Where am I, what time is it, why am I here? Thomas Tuchel might add another ‘W’ at this point: And what’s all this about?

The Bayern Munich coach took advantage of the press conference before the first leg against 1. FC Köln to combine the useful and the entertaining. He thought it would be useful to renew his criticism of the Bundesliga schedule, which gave Bayern Munich a game on Friday evening after an international trip for the second time this season – this time even away. Tuchel, who was only allowed to welcome professionals such as Alphonso Davies (Canada international) and Min Jae Kim (in China) the day before the match, after flights of more than ten hours, spoke of “very, very, very.” An unfortunate date.” With long-haul flight disruptions. But this time, Tuchel seized the opportunity to combine his local rejection with an international appeal.

“I can tell you that the reactions of the national coaches are that the best players who are playing at the highest level in the Champions League and the national team are tired. Mentally tired, emotionally tired, physically tired,” Tuchel said. The match calendar “is at the absolute limit, if not beyond, and it’s not just about seeing the minutes played. Players spend long hours on the bus, in the hotel, on the plane, plus the time difference, it’s exhausting.” And if something – interest, philosophical conclusion! – is not in the player’s soul, then it is “not in the game’s soul either.”

Have they decided to form a wagon fort at a club that has been very troubled recently?

What was missing from this list was the famous fast pace of football, which the coach took advantage of on Thursday. While Bayern Munich was recently seen as a troubled club with departing board members, absent defenders and a wide diversity of opinions, Tuchel is now able to present it as a haven of calm: “You can present stressed and/or depressed national players (DFB! ) who returned “an environment where you feel safe and calm, where you can get away from things sometimes.”

In fact, there is mounting evidence that Uli Hoeneß’s latest statement is correct KickerAccording to which “unity is formed between the team and the coach”, it can be not only tactical, but also of a real nature. On Thursday, Tuchel once again praised players Leroy Sane and Joshua Kimmich as “absolute key players” and expressed his respect for Leon Goretzka (“very impressive”) for “biting his teeth with a broken hand and putting himself at the service of the team.” “The team is small, the pace of play is fast – Bayern have clearly decided to exploit these challenges to build a fortress. However, the success of this plan could depend on whether the national players are up and running again when the match kicks off in Cologne.