Thomas Tuchel hints at interest in Barcelona job

By Ben Sully | 29 January 2024

Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel hints at interest in taking over as Barcelona boss following Xavi's decision to leave the club at the end of the season.

Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has hinted that he would be interested in replacing Xavi as Barcelona head coach.

Xavi is set to leave the Catalan giants at the end of the season after he announced his decision following Sunday's 5-3 defeat to Villarreal.

The 44-year-old has come under scrutiny following an inconsistent campaign, which has taken a turn for the worse in the last two matches.

Losing to Villarreal followed an extra-time defeat against Athletic Bilbao in Wednesday's Copa del Rey quarter-final tie at San Mames.

With fourth-placed Barcelona currently 11 points adrift of top spot in La Liga, their only realistic chance of winning a trophy this season is by going all the way in the Champions League.

Barcelona head coach Xavi on January 21, 2024 © Reuters

While Xavi will hope to oversee a successful end to his tenure, the search is already underway to find his successor.

Barcelona Atletic coach Rafael Marquez has expressed an interest in the role, while Mikel Arteta, Jurgen Klopp and Julian Nagelsmann have reportedly been included in a three-man shortlist as potential replacements for Xavi.

Tuchel has seemingly thrown his hat into the ring after the 50-year-old spoke highly of the Spanish top flight at a Bayern club event in Heidenheim.

The Bayern boss said: "Moving abroad would appeal to me again. Spain has an extraordinary league. From my perspective, and based on my experience working with Spaniards, they are characterised by a tremendous amount of self-confidence.

"When you speak with Spanish players, I quickly get the sense that you are engaging with the person."

Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel reacts on January 12, 2024 © Reuters

Tuchel's comments come amid some scrutiny surrounding his own position as Bayern head coach, with the Bavarians currently behind Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga title race.

Despite trailing Xabi Alonso's side, Bayern were able to close the gap to two points with a 3-2 victory over Augsburg on Saturday.

Outside of Germany, Tuchel has worked in France with Paris Saint-Germain and in England with Chelsea, where he won the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

After being sacked by Chelsea in September 2022, Tuchel was appointed Bayern boss in March of last year, signing a contract until the summer of 2025.

While he may be open to a future move to Spain, his current focus will be on Bayern's home clash with Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.