Bayern Munich and Thomas Tuchel will part ways at the end of the season, leaving the managerial role open for 2024/25.
The Bavarian giants failed to win the domestic title for the first time since the 2011/12 season as Bayer Leverkusen stormed to a famous success under Xabi Alonso.
Alonso was one of the main candidates to take over from Tuchel at the Allianz Arena, but he has committed his immediate future to Leverkusen, where he intends to stay for another season. And he's not the only coach to have turned down the chance to take charge of the UEFA Champions League semifinalists.
The latest is Ralf Rangnick, the former Manchester United interim boss and current Austria head coach, who has stated he will not be going to Bayern — although he insisted it was not a "rejection" of the German club.
"I'm the Austrian team boss with all my heart," he said after agreeing to stay with the team beyond Euro 2024 this summer. "I'm really enjoying this challenge and am determined to continue successfully on our chosen path."
So who could actually accept the challenge of succeeding Tuchel and restoring Bayern's domestic supremacy? The Sporting News takes a look at some of the candidates.
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Next Bayern Munich manager: The candidates
Last updated: May 1, 2024
Roberto De Zerbi
Italian manager Roberto De Zerbi is currently the leading favourite to take over at FC Bayern.
De Zerbi took charge of Brighton & Hove Albion in September 2022, where he has made a significant impact at the Amex Stadium, leading the team to their first European qualification with a seventh-place finish last season.
Despite losing players such as Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo to Liverpool and Chelsea in last summer's transfer window, Brighton initially sustained their challenge for a top-six finish this season. However, as injuries mounted and the toll of balancing domestic and European football was felt, they have fallen away. That could leave De Zerbi looking for a new challenge.
In terms of tacticians pushing the boundaries of what is possible for an attacking football team, there are few better out there right now.
It could be suggested that De Zerbi's tendency to play "in the red" all the time makes him ill-suited to a post where trophies are expected. Additionally, De Zerbi perhaps feels like more of a fit to succeed Pep Guardiola if he leaves at the end of his current Manchester City contract in 2025.
De Zerbi's narrow backline to break first and second line press
— Younes (@younes_aw) March 16, 2024
Full-backs inside (4 line): Attract, overload the centre and unoccupy spaces between the lines to exploit
A different approach to likes of Guardiola (inverted fullback) or Klopp (high fullback) but same intentions pic.twitter.com/E6PImFpCf8
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Jurgen Klopp
After a memorable tenure on Merseyside, Klopp will leave Liverpool at the end of the current Premier League campaign.
His high-energy style and success in the top flight make him a logical choice to succeed Tuchel.
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Klopp's experience managing in Germany as Borussia Dortmund boss will also put him in good stead, although coaching BVB's sworn enemies might not sit well with a figure still adored at Signal Iduna Park.
Also, part of his reason for leaving Liverpool was due to "running out of energy", so he may wish to take at least one season off to recuperate before diving back into elite European football.
Zinedine Zidane
French football icon Zinedine Zidane has been without a coaching gig since 2021.
After finishing his career at Real Madrid as a player, he remained with the club and worked his way up to the head coach role.
His career win rate of 62.5% is impressive and has seen him linked with many top teams.
After three years out of a job, diving into one of the most high-pressure gigs in European football would be a challenge, but it's not out of the question.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has not managed since departing Manchester United in 2021.
Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg reported the Bavarian club was monitoring the Norwegian as an interim solution.
This was before the announcement of Tuchel's departure, though, and it's unclear whether Bayern would still consider the 50-year-old as a longer-term option.
Jose Mourinho
When any top club has a managerial opening, you can expect Jose Mourinho to be considered.
'The Special One' has managed 10 different clubs in his eventful career but is yet to ply his trade in Germany.
Could Bayern be the right fit?
With a résumé that includes 26 major trophies and two Champions League titles, the Bayern board could view him as an attractive option to re-install a winning culture.
Managers who have turned down Bayern Munich job
Xabi Alonso
Bayern have a habit of poaching talent from other Bundesliga clubs, so it makes sense they may look at the man in charge of the league's hottest team.
Bayer Leverkusen are enjoying a stunning campaign under Xabi Alonso and currently sit on top of the table, undefeated and with a strong lead over Bayern.
Alonso has been linked with a move to Liverpool to replace Klopp, having played at Anfield between 2004 and 2009. The former Spain midfielder finished his career at Bayern, who he joined during Pep Guardiola's tenure.
The 42-year-old's coaching philosophy is centred around inviting opposition pressure and then exploiting the resulting spaces.
Having only joined Leverkusen in 2022, Alonso has proved he can develop a system and achieve results in a relatively short period.
But Alonso has since confirmed that he will stay with Leverkusen, at least for one more season.
🔴⚫️ Xabi Alonso: “My job at Bayer is not over. I want to help the club, help the players to develop, the board is great… it’s all fantastic here”.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 29, 2024
“I’m still young coach but I think this is the best decision for my future. I took my time and I’m sure about that”. pic.twitter.com/o7vZyQ872Q
Ralf Rangnick
Rangnick had great success in the Bundesliga leading the sporting side of the Red Bull sports venture, and he is credited with inspiring many of the best modern German coaches, so Bayern's interest makes sense in that regard.
However, he struggled as interim Manchester United manager and chose not to take up the planned consultancy role at the club as he instead chose to take the job as the head coach of Austria. He has since committed his future to that role beyond Euro 2024, although he stressed in a statement that his decision should not be viewed as a "rejection" of Bayern.
It had been reported in late April that Bayern were confident Rangnick would accept the club's offer.
Julian Nagelsmann
If there was any sense of embarrassment within the Bayern hierarchy at attempting to reappoint a coach they fired a year ago, that was turned up to 11 when Nagelsmann turned them down.
The 36-year-old replaced Hansi Flick in the Germany job — just as he had at Bayern in 2021 — and, with his contract due to expire after the Euros on home soil in June and July this year, there was a belief he could be tempted back to the Aliianz Arena. However, he chose instead to sign a new contract with the national team.