A coaching change is always a big deal. For Bayern Munich, the changing of the guard from Julian Nagelsmann to Thomas Tuchel means a blank slate and a chance to reset for a variety of players who may have been out of favor under the former coach.
However, as much as things change, expect some to stay the same, too. According to Sky’s Florian Plettenberg (via @iMiaSanMia), the ever-present Joshua Kimmich and Leroy Sané should figure big in the incoming coach’s plans.
Kimmich is the six that won’t stop playing, and Tuchel is said to be a huge fan. He was also reportedly Nagelsmann’s first point of contact, and Plettenberg reports that Kimmich, a Bayern captain, is expected to continue as one of the team’s foremost players and leaders on the pitch. Will he continue in the same role he had under the former Chelsea coach, or will Kimmich’s midfield presence continue to evolve?
Likewise, Sané was a player already doing well. Arguably, he was unlocked by Nagelsmann — a former pure winger who drifted into central positions and sparkled. Still, the mercurial former Manchester City man has had his ups and downs, and there’s still the sense that he could step it up even more consistently and blast off into the stratosphere. Therefore, Plettenberg’s report suggests that Sané could even benefit from the coaching change — just as he benefitted from the last one.