Bayern Munich have sacked Carlo Ancelotti after Wednesday’s 3-0 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
The Italian, who led Bayern to the Bundesliga title last season having been appointed to replace Pep Guardiola last summer, was dismissed after a meeting of the club’s board on Thursday.
“The performance of our team since the start of the season did not meet the expectations we put on them,” said chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “The game in Paris clearly showed that we had to draw consequences. [Sporting director] Hasan Salihamidzic and I had an open and serious discussion with Carlo today and informed him of our decision. “I would like to thank Carlo for his cooperation and regret what has happened. Carlo is my friend and will remain so, but we had to make a professional decision for the benefit of FC Bayern. I now expect the team to have a positive development and absolute performance, so we can reach our goals for this season.”
Earlier, Rummenigge had called for “consequences” following the loss at the Parc des Princes, which was the club’s heaviest defeat in the Champions League group stages for 21 years. “What we’ve seen tonight was not Bayern Munich,” he said.
Ancelotti’s assistant Willy Sagnol, former Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel and Hoffenheim’s Julian Nagelsmann are among the early favourites to succeed him, with Sagnol to take temporary charge for the trip to face Hertha Berlin on Sunday. Bayern also confirmed that staff members Davide Ancelotti, Giovanni Mauri, Francesco Mauri and Mino Fulco have also left the club.
Bayern have also endured a difficult start to the Bundesliga season, losing at Hoffenheim in their third match and being held to a 2-2 draw at home to Wolfsburg last Friday.
Speaking after the defeat to PSG, Ancelotti had admitted his side had been too slow out the blocks against their chief rivals to finish top Group B after falling behind to Dani Alves’s goal in the second minute. “We had a bad start. After the early opener we had to change our strategy completely,” he said. “We had to take control, and we had chances too. But it wasn’t so easy after the goal, that was the problem. We didn’t have the right balance, their counter-attacks were too strong.”
But postmatch comments from Arjen Robben hinted that all was not well within the Bayern camp. Asked if he still backed his manager, the Dutchman replied: “I won’t answer this question. The lineup is the coach’s business. I will say nothing about it. Every word in this case would be one too many. The important thing is that we stick together now as a team. We need peace. Anyone who now wears his dissatisfaction on the outside, does not help the team.”
