Bayern sack Ancelotti
MUNICH. — Carlo Ancelotti has been sacked by German soccer giants Bayern Munich after their 3-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
The club’s hierarchy held a meeting to discuss Ancelotti’s future yesterday afternoon and he has now left the Bavarians.
In their official club statement, Bayern said they had “split” from the 58-year-old following internal meetings since the midweek defeat to PSG.
Ancelotti’s assistant Willy Sagnol will take over on a temporary basis, with former Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel likely to be at the head of the queue to replace the Italian fulltime.
Chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has previously discussed the mutual admiration between himself and Tuchel, while there is a desire to see a German manager take control at Bayern again for the first time since Jupp Heynckes’ reign, which ended in 2013.
Rummenigge said in a statement on the Bayern website: “The performance of our team since the start of the season did not meet the expectations we put to them. “The game in Paris clearly showed that we had to make decisions. Hasan Salihamidžic (Bayern sporting director) and I spoke to Carlo today and informed him of our decision.
“I would like to thank Carlo for the co-operation and I regret this development. Carlo is my friend and will remain so, but we had to make a professional decision in the spirit of Bayern.
“I now expect the team to have a positive reaction and absolute performance, so we can reach our goals for this season.”
Four of Ancelotti’s coaching staff Italians Davide Ancelotti, Giovanni Mauri, Francesco Mauri and Mino Fulco - have also left Bayern.
Former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager Ancelotti took charge of Bayern in July 2016 following Pep Guardiola’s departure to Manchester City.
He continued Bayern’s domination of the Bundesliga, winning the league by 15 points from second placed RB Leipzig. He has also won the pre-season German Super Cup both this and last season.
However they were beaten 3-2 at home in the German Cup semi-finals by Borussia Dortmund, and in the 2016-17 Champions League quarter finals by Real Madrid. Bayern have not won the major European trophy since 2013.
There have also been problems off the pitch - goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is out until after Christmas with injury and his replacement, Sven Ulreich, has not convinced, making a bad error against Wolfsburg to concede the first goal.
Main striker Robert Lewandowski has criticised the club’s transfer policy, saying they need to spend more money, while there is also disharmony among German fans and media due to Thomas Muller’s lack of game time.
The signing of James Rodriguez on a two-year loan has divided opinion, while the retirements of Philipp Lahm and Xabi Alonso have left a leadership vacuum.
On Wednesday night, Bayern were outplayed in Paris. Only Barcelona and Real Madrid have ever inflicted heavier defeats on Bayern in the Champions League. They are second in the group with three points from two games, level with Celtic.
They are currently third in the Bundesliga, with 13 points from six games, trailing leaders Dortmund by three points.
Their next fixture is away to Hertha Berlin on Sunday - where 40-year-old Sagnol will take charge - while their next Champions League game is at home to Celtic on October 18.