Bayern Munich still have an opening for a new manager, as Thomas Tuchel will step down at the end of the season after a tumultuous tenure at the club, brief as it has been.
With Xabi Alonso staying with Bayer Leverkusen and the other manager options seemingly uninterested in Bayern Munich, the Reds have recently become more intrigued by the idea of “running it back” with Hansi Flick.
The popular German coach won the treble in the 2019/20 season, dominating the landscape of European football with a smashmouth, aggressive attacking style that made full use of the unique gifts of his players, particularly the forwards.
If Flick were to return after leaving under bizarre circumstances, a number of players would more than welcome him back, even if some of them didn’t necessarily play their best for him with the German national team.
Here are five Bayern Munich players whose futures at the club could be saved by a Hansi Flick return to Bavaria.
AM Thomas Muller
Thomas Muller is one of the biggest legends in Bayern Munich history and an elite goal-scorer when he is given the time and the role to produce the goods.
Among those frustrated with his situation under Thomas Tuchel, Muller played arguably his best ball for Hansi Flick, operating as the main playmaker and providing his best passing season ever.
In 2019/20, Muller registered 21 Bundesliga assists to go with a solid 8 goals, feeding Robert Lewandowski chances he could not miss.
Muller is 34 but remains a quality footballer, registering 5 goals with 8 assists in the current Bundesliga campaign despite not being a regular starter.
CM Joshua Kimmich
Perhaps nobody stands to benefit more from Hansi Flick returning to the Bayern Munich dugout than world-class midfielder Joshua Kimmich, who has become quite the target for criticism since the coach’s departure.
Kimmich has been particularly alienated by Thomas Tuchel, as he’s had to move to right back again and is even contemplating a move to Barcelona.
Under Flick, Kimmich had 4 goals and 7 assists with 2.3 key passes per game in the 2019/20 season, averaging 2.5 combined tackles and interceptions per game.
He played everywhere for Flick between right back and the center of midfield, and he was a key player in the middle of the park for Flick, who believed in his qualities there.
FW Serge Gnabry
Serge Gnabry was a monster in the 2019/20 Champions League season and was also quite productive in the Bundesliga with 12 goals and 10 assists.
Injuries have been the major thing holding him back under Thomas Tuchel’s reign as manager, but there was something special about watching Gnabry in the big games under Flick when he got hot.
Gnabry is an easy player for Bayern Munich fans and the German media to criticize, but all of that criticism comes from the fact that everyone knows how incredible Gnabry is when he’s clicking. Flick loves to bring the fire out of these kinds of players.
LW Kingsley Coman
For the first time, Kingsley Coman is being linked with a move out of Bayern Munich, as there are criticisms of his inconsistent end product and inability to stay on the pitch due to nagging injuries.
But there was a time when Coman’s spot in the squad was undisputed, no matter how stiff the competition got in Bavaria on the left wing.
Coman was a solid player under Hansi Flick who, like Gnabry, could turn up the heat to an 11 in those big Champions League nights. The Frenchman needs to be healthy, but Flick can also aid Coman in having a big bounce back 2024/25 season.
CM Leon Goretzka
Leon Goretzka is yet another big name in the Bayern Munich squad who could be headed for the exit door after a frustrating season.
He still plays regularly for Bayern Munich in the 2023/24 season, but he looks nowhere near the box-to-box beast Hansi Flick unleashed on the rest of the world in the second half of the 2019/20 season when everyone else was reeling from COVID-19.
Goretzka is a flawed player but a talented one who willed Schalke to second place just before they totally collapsed after he signed with Bayern Munich for free. Flick could recapture the magic in the mercurial 29-year-old midfielder.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He has been an editor for NFL Spin Zone, Daily DDT for pro wrestling, Autzen Zoo covering the Oregon Ducks, Musket Fire covering the New England Patriots, The Real Champs covering Real Madrid, Old Juve covering Juventus, Rush The Kop covering Liverpool, and Release The Knappen covering Schalke. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.