It’s like waiting for a bus. You wait ages for one to come along, and then as fate would have it, two arrive. In the case of the elite German coaching fraternity four have arrived at the same time with the stars aligning to mean that Jürgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel, Julian Nagelsmann and Hansi Flick will all be available in the summer. The machinations across European board rooms start now.
If you were to line-up the trophies won by the aforementioned quintet of German coaches, you would have quite the impressive haul of silverware in front of you. Three Champions Leagues, eight league titles, and three domestic cups not to mention a raft of individual coaching awards. So what could the future hold for these leading coaching luminaries?
Jürgen Klopp
The 56-year-old’s decision to step down as Liverpool coach at the end of the season sent the red half of Merseyside into a collective emotional meltdown, but the man himself is still focussed on delivering a second Premier League title at Anfield before he steps down. He has already stated his intention to take a years break from the game, which basically rules him out of the big jobs that he would have logically been linked with.
The German national team job would seem tailor made for him as he has ruled out ever managing a team in England. The romantics amongst the Borussia Dortmund fan base will be dreaming of a return to the Signal Iduna Park, but his legacy is such that going back could prove a risk. It is hard to imagine him at Bayern, so it is very much a case of wait and see after he has taken a well-deserved sabbatical.
Thomas Tuchel
The Thomas Tuchel chapter of Bayern was a short one, but that will really not come as a surprise to many. The circumstances surrounding his appointment, the nature of the club and his reputation for being somewhat “difficult” meant that it was never going to realistically be the perfect marriage and he has become the fall guy for a deeper problem within the squad.
That said, he has a fantastic reputation as a coach with excellent tactical acumen and with a CV that lists Borussia Dortmund, Paris St. Germain, Chelsea and Bayern on it, he will no doubt be on the list of many top clubs. A return to England could be an option (Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool) and he has already stated his admiration of the Spanish league. It is probably safe to say he won’t be out of work for too long.
Julian Nagelsmann
The current situation at Bayern Munich is increasingly showing that the Bavarian giants were extremely rash in their decision to sack him last season. The grass is not always greener on the other side and the powers that be at the Rekordmeister must be wondering what could have been had they just kept the faith in the young coach.
He has stepped into the breach as the Bundestrainer to lead Germany at the European Championships on home soil, but at just 36 years of age, it is hard to imagine his club career being over. If Germany flop at the summer finals, then a new coach would seem logical to start a new era, if they miraculously triumph, Nagelsmann can leave on a high. Should Xabi Alonso leave Bayer Leverkusen, he would be an ideal replacement, while Borussia Dortmund must surely also have their eye on him should they ultimately need to replace Edin Terzic. Nagelsmann would also be open to coaching abroad, which opens up a whole raft of options in England, Spain and Paris.
Hansi Flick
The progression from Bayern triple-winning coach to German Bundestrainer didn’t have the seamless transition that was hoped for and Hansi Flick now finds himself amongst some stellar company looking for a new coaching challenge. He was touted as an emergency replacement for Thomas Tuchel should Bayern have actually sacked their under-fire trainer, but he looks set to hang on for the right post.
Jupp Heynckes succeeded in returning to Bayern successfully for a second spell, bit like Klopp at Dortmund, there is an inherent danger that the former legacy could be spoiled. It is rumoured that he is learning Spanish with speculation linking him with the soon to be vacant job at Barcelona, while Chelsea have long been admirers of the 58-year-old.
(Bruno Labbadia was omitted from this list for obvious reasons!)
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