According to Sky Sports, Bayern Munich are set to reappoint former boss Jupp Heynckes after the exit of Carlo Ancelotti. The 72-year-old is, of course, familiar to the German giants, as he has managed the Bavarians on three occasions with major success.
Heynckes retired from football management in 2013 having won the treble of Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League. The veteran boss gave replacement Pep Guardiola major shoes to fill at the German club and the Catalan boss failed to live up to expectations at times.
A short-term appointment
The Sky Sports report suggests that Heynckes will sign a deal until the end of the current season. At 72 years old he is not exactly a long-term appointment. The likes of former Dortmund bosses Thomas Tuchel and Jurgen Klopp, as well as managerial prodigy Julian Nagelsmann, have all been linked with the post, the appointment of Heynckes would be a surprising one.
However, maybe there is a reason for such a short-term appointment. Maybe the German giants are biding their time and waiting to pick up the right boss in the summer. That could be Klopp or Nagelsmann, but both are currently in jobs they seem to enjoy at Liverpool and Hoffenheim respectively.
If Bayern were going to appoint Thomas Tuchel now would probably be an ideal time. The former Dortmund boss is out-of-contract and that means no lengthy discussions over compensation with another club. The Bayern hierarchy maybe did not believe he was the right man for the job.
Heynckes is a safe pair of hands
The Bayern top brass obviously sees Heynckes as a safe pair of hands for the team, as somebody that can steady the ship and sort out those big egos in the dressing room. The veteran boss knows how to get the best out of the big players.
His last spell in charge of the team showed that he had command of the dressing room. His reputation should ensure that he has the immediate respect of everybody at the club. Heynckes knows the club in and out, so will need no introduction to one of the biggest club jobs in world football.
The veteran boss also knows all about the pressure that comes with managing Bayern Munich and he seemed to take it in his stride during his last spell in charge.
Bayern need to get back on track
Bayern have enjoyed a lacklustre start to their campaign so far. The low point of the campaign was definitely the 3-0 defeat at PSG in the Champions League, which cost Carlo Ancelotti his job in the end. In truth, at a club like Bayern, a boss is always under pressure not just to win, but also to do it in the clubs preferred style.
At times Bayern fans questioned the way Ancelotti played football. However, the fans in Munich are hard to please. Even Pep Guardiola came in for criticism during his reign as Bayern boss.
Heynckes has the experience and man-management to get Bayern back on track at home and abroad. Bayern are five points behind arch-rivals Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga table. However, they are still the favourites to be crowned German champions at odds of 2/5 at the end of the season.
Bayern Munich has a strong squad and Jupp Heynckes has the undoubted knowledge to bring the best out of the Bavarians talented squad.
The veteran may seem like a shock appointment. However, it could well prove to be a shrewd decision by the Bayern hierarchy to bring their former boss out of retirement for one last hoorah.
