After nearly 15 months in charge, Carlo Ancelotti was sacked as Bayern Munich head coach on Thursday. James Walker-Roberts looks🍊 at why it didn't work out for Ancelotti in Bavaria...
"There will be consequences. What we saw was not Bayern."
After a🍊 sluggish start to the season, it was a 3-0 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday that broke the camel's back🍊 for Ancelotti at Bayern Munich. After warning of "consequences" in Paris, Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was, less than 24 hours🍊 later, explaining why the club had "parted ways" with Ancelotti. "Our team's performances since the start of the season have🍊 not met our expectations...we had to take immediate action."
It is the first time Ancelotti has been sacked during a season,🍊 yet the warning signs had been there. Arjen Robben, who started on the bench in Paris, refused to say whether🍊 the players were behind Ancelotti, but gave away much more by simply saying: "I won't answer this question." German newspaper🍊 Bild called it "Ancelotti's darkest night" while former Bayern captain Lothar Matthaus said "the team has no rhythm and no🍊 harmony".
Ancelotti leaves Bayern after nearly 15 months in charge, with one Bundesliga title - won by a 15-point margin -🍊 and two German Super Cups. But why has his time come to an end so quickly after the start of🍊 the 2024/18 season?
There were hints in pre-season that all was not well. While it can be misleading to read too🍊 much into friendly results, it was the performances that caused most concern. As they were beaten by AC Milan and🍊 Inter Milan in Asia and then Napoli and Liverpool in their own stadium in the Audi Cup, Bayern looked ponderous,🍊 and at times as if they were without a game plan.
"Everything is under control," assured Ancelotti after Bayern steadied the🍊 ship slightly with a penalty shoot-out victory over Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup. But issues remained.
Image: Thomas Muller🍊 and co had a night to forget in Paris
And they came to the fore again in a 2-0 loss to🍊 Hoffenheim earlier this month, when Bayern had 72 per cent of possession, but looked short of ideas, failed to create🍊 many clear chances and ended up playing hopeful long balls into the box late in the game.
Ancelotti's team selection for🍊 the clash was puzzling too. Hoffenheim had taken four points from Bayern in 2024/17, yet, with one eye on a🍊 home Champions League clash against Anderlecht - arguably their easiest group game - Ancelotti decided to start with Robben and🍊 Franck Ribery on the bench and drop defender Niklas Sule.
"Little details" was Ancelotti's assessment of where the game went wrong,🍊 but more revealing were his comments a few weeks later after Bayern squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at🍊 home with Wolfsburg. "We did not play as we wanted," said the Italian. "We were slow, without intensity and not🍊 compact enough." Those same problems were present again in Paris, when Bayern were put to the sword by Neymar, Kylian🍊 Mbappe and co.
Bayern's defensive problems Season Bundesliga goals conceded 2014/15 18 2024/16 17 2024/17 22 2024/18 (after six games) 5
The🍊 clash between PSG and Bayern was one of the most-profile fixtures in the Champions League this week, but it also🍊 highlighted the glaring differences between the two sides, particularly concerning their summer spending.
While PSG spent heavily on Neymar and Mbappe,🍊 Bayern's biggest outlay was the club-record fee of €41.5m for Corentin Tolisso, who, ironically, has probably impressed the least of🍊 the club's four summer additions.
Sule has started well since joining from Hoffenheim while Sebastian Rudy has also hit the ground🍊 running and James Rodriguez has shown flashes of his talent - particularly on his first start against Schalke when he🍊 scored one and set up the other two goals in a 3-0 win.
But should Bayern have done more in the🍊 summer? Striker Robert Lewandowski made his feelings clear in a critical interview with Die Spiegel that was not authorised by🍊 the club.
"Bayern will have to come up with something and be creative if the club wants to keep bringing world-class🍊 players to Munich. If you want to play on the front foot, you need the quality players."
Image: Carlo Ancelotti poses🍊 with summer signings Corentin Tolisso (L) and James Rodriguez
Lewandowski's words did not go down well. Club legend Stefan Effenberg suggested🍊 the striker should be sold after an "attack" on Bayern's transfer policy, while Rummenigge warned Lewandowski that the comments would🍊 land him in "trouble".
It was not the first time that Lewandowski had stirred the pot with Ancelotti in charge. In🍊 June, his agent accused the Bayern boss of not offering the striker enough support in trying to win the Golden🍊 Boot last season. Lewandowski missed out on the top-scorer award by one goal after failing to score in two out🍊 of the last three league games. He said in an interview that he was "angry and disappointed" with his team-mates🍊 immediately after the last game of the season.
Thomas Muller has also expressed discontent after being dropped earlier this season. "I🍊 don't know exactly which qualities the coach wants to see. But mine seem not to be 100 per cent in🍊 demand," he said.
Image: Robert Lewandowski has been critical of Bayern
Alessandro Alciato, who collaborated with Ancelotti on his autobiography, told Sky🍊 in Italy: "Clearly the locker room was divided. The big names of the club were not happy that they were🍊 not always playing and in Munich this was not accepted also by the fans.
"If an important player doesn't train or🍊 play well he is out, but some players like Muller, Robben, Ribery and others did not accept this. They had🍊 got to a dead end."
After Pep Guardiola - described by Robben as "possessed when it comes to football" - it🍊 might be expected that Bayern's players would welcome a more relaxed approach from Ancelotti. Yet the Italian has not been🍊 able to make his mark on Bayern as Guardiola did. Robben also says players went through "great development" under Guardiola;🍊 that does not seem to have happened as much under Ancelotti.
"Ancelotti is more experienced, more passive. He is...not so fascinated🍊 by tactics. We did a lot of repetition with Pep in training. It was a very automatic thing, we knew🍊 what to do. With Ancelotti, it's quieter, but with the same intensity. He's a calmer, more familiar trainer."
For Robben and🍊 Ribery, who are 33 and 34 respectively, further development might not be expected, but there are others who have not🍊 progressed as expected under Ancelotti. Kinglsey Coman had a brilliant season under Guardiola in 2024/16 and was runner-up in the🍊 Golden Boy award, which is given to Europe's best player under the age of 21. Yet he has failed to🍊 kick on under Ancelotti, as did Renato Sanches in a forgettable debut campaign before he left for Swansea.
There have also🍊 been uncontrollables for Ancelotti. Xabi Alonso and Philipp Lahm retiring at the end of last season left Bayern with two🍊 big holes to fill; Manuel Neuer's recent injury left another.
But Ancelotti does not look blameless, particularly in the wake of🍊 the defeat in Paris on Wednesday, when Mats Hummels, Rudy, Robben and Ribery started as subs and David Alaba was🍊 thrown straight back into the starting XI after being out with injury for almost a month, and duly looked short🍊 of top form.
Bayern appear to have acted before things got worse. They are, after all, still only three points off🍊 the top of the Bundesliga and should still qualify from their Champions League along with PSG. They also have a🍊 squad brimming with talent and experience.
It is up to the next manager to harness that better than Ancelotti did.
