"No longer enough to become league champions" - Thomas Tuchel takes dig at PSG, urges Bayern squad to not take Bundesliga for granted
Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has aimed a dig at his former club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Tuchel succeeded Julian Nagelsmann at Bayern in March with his side still in contention for a treble. However, the Bavarians were knocked out of the DFB-Pokal by SC Freiburg courtesy of a 2-1 defeat on April 4. Der FCB were then eliminated from the Champions League after a 4-1 aggregate defeat to Manchester City.
It means Bayern's sole focus is now on winning the Bundesliga, a feat the club have managed ten seasons in a row. However, Tuchel has talked up the importance of winning the league title, hinting that PSG discredits its merit. He said (via Marca):
"It is important how the team handles the situation. A lot has happened this season. The team has experienced a lot. I myself experienced in Paris how sad it is that the league title is taken for granted."
Tuchel insisted that winning the league title shouldn't be taken for granted. He continued to give subtle hints of PSG's lack of ambition regarding their league:
"It should not be taken for granted. sitting nothing. Sure, we won't celebrate it like someone unexpected won the title... but we won't downplay our ambition to become champions.A league title is less prone to failure because you have time over a longer period of time. You can make up for the problems."
The German concluded:
"We are fighting for the title. We shouldn't be ashamed of that. In Paris, at some point, it was no longer enough to become league champions. It was downplayed. There is a lot of work involved in our day to day." .
Tuchel spent two years with the Parisians, from 2018 till 2020. He won the Ligue 1 title twice but failed to deliver the Champions League. It's thought that he was dismissed from the PSG job, as their ultimate aim is to win the European title. He did take them to the 2020 final, where they ironically lost 1-0 to Bayern.
PSG managerial target Julian Nagelsmann comments on rejecting Chelsea
Tuchel succeeded Julian Nagelsmann at the Allianz Arena, with many surprised by Bayern's decision to sack the latter. He had led the Bavarians to the Bundesliga title last season, and they were still competing in three competitions.
Nagelsmann's availability has drawn interest of plenty of European heavyweights, including Chelsea and PSG. However, the German has pulled out of the race for the Premier League club's job. He explained (via Fabrizio Romano):
“To cancel something, you have to commit to something."
Romano claims that Nagelsmann and the Chelsea board disagreed on crucial points ahead of a potential appointment. That paves the way for the Parisians to target the German tactician.
Reports claim that Nagelsmann features on PSG's shortlist in case they look to replace Christophe Galtier. They're in a similar situation to Bayern, exiting all cup competitions and now solely concentrating on the league.