Is all well in the executive suite at Säbener Straße?
That depends on who you are reading. Media outlets especially in Germany have caught on to apparent disagreements in squad-building vision between the head coach at Bayern Munich, Thomas Tuchel, and the bosses, including supervisory board member and club legend Uli Hoeneß.
Tuchel notably was reported to have been the driving force behind Bayern’s efforts — belated and ultimately failing — to land a new defensive midfielder before the close of the summer transfer window. Fulham’s João Palhinha was left waiting in Munich as time ran out, and after spending nearly €100m on former Tottenham striker Harry Kane, Bayern did not appear to be so eager to shell out on a No. 6 anyway — certainly not while boasting the likes of Joshua Kimmich in the position.
But though the parties have appeared to lob soft barbs in the media — Tuchel through his sometimes pointed assessment of squad needs, Hoeneß via recent rebukes — it is perhaps not as dramatic as some may think.
“I saw that,” Tuchel said recently in response to Hoeneß’s criticism, as captured by @iMiaSanMia. “I have a very open, direct relationship with Uli Hoeneß, with a lot of appreciation. Nothing has changed about that.”
And that could be the end of that.