"We did everything to lose this match" - Thomas Tuchel tears into Bayern Munich squad after 1-0 UCL defeat against Lazio
Thomas Tuchel has taken shots at his Bayern Munich players after the loss to Lazio. He believes that they did everything to lose the match after failing to convert their chances in the first half.
Speaking to the media after the 1-0 loss to Lazio in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday, Tuchel stated that the match was in their hands but his players failed to make the most of their chances. He added that the Bayern Munich stars stopped believing that they could win the game and said via Metro:
"In the first half, we had to take the lead. We had three clear chances. We have to do these things. [The second half was] characterised by uncertainty again. It was a bit slapstick. We did everything to lose this match. It was in our hands."
He continued:
"At a certain point we stopped believing, I've no idea why. There were many individual mistakes. We're frustrated and angry about the defeat. I think we lost the game, I'm not sure Lazio won it."
Speaking about the penalty and red card to Dayot Upamecano, Tuchel added:
"[There was] no need for Upamecano to go in like that. It's not wild or intentional – but just block the shot. We did everything we could to fall behind, making errors and losing confidence. In the second our performance dropped inexplicably. We lost our rhythm. It was completely our responsibility. We lost a game today that in the first half looked like we could not lose it."
Bayern Munich will host Lazio in the second leg on March 5. Reports suggest Tuchel might not be in charge of the game as he is facing a sack at the club - just 11 months after taking over.
Thomas Tuchel not worried about Bayern Munich sack
Thomas Tuchel was quizzed about his future at the press conference after the defeat to Lazio. The former Chelsea manager claimed that he was not thinking about his future or the potential sack as he was focused on getting the results.
He said via Metro:
"No, I'm not worried about my future or [the] potential sack."
Reports in SPORT BILD suggest that Hansi Flick could be set for a return to the club in an interim role. Meanwhile, Mundo Deportivo have reported that Tuchel is aware of losing his job and has offered himself to Barcelona when Xavi leaves in the summer.