'Very hard to escape' - Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel admits he 'felt more appreciated' at Chelsea amid fierce criticism in Germany

In a controversial move, Chelsea sacked Tuchel in September 2022, replacing him with Graham Potter, a decision made by the club's new owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. Chelsea fans still sang Tuchel's name four months after his dismissal, though, with the German having always been a popular figure among the Stamford Bridge faithful.

Despite spending only 19 months as Chelsea's head coach, Tuchel left a an impressive legacy behind. Under his leadership, Chelsea stormed to glory in the Champions League, Club World Cup, and Super Cup. Additionally, the team reached two FA Cup finals and finished as a runner-up in the Carabao Cup.

Despite winning the Bundesliga last season, Tuchel has been under criticism from an ever-demanding Bayern fan base as the Bavarians currently find themselves in second spot behind Bayer Leverkusen. When asked in an interview withESPN if he felt more appreciated in England than in Germany, Tuchel said: "Yep. Pretty simple question. I feel we are very critical of each other in Germany, especially with players and coaches. It is very hard to escape. There is a picture and this picture is basically the picture for years and years. I felt more appreciation in England, yes."

However, Tuchel's tenure was marked by a strained relationship with the Chelsea hierarchy, who assumed control from Roman Abramovich in May 2022. Things were so bitter that co-owner Boehly reportedly described Tuchel as a "nightmare" to deal with, particularly concerning player transfers.

Tuchel will ultimately be judged on Bayern's performance in the Champions League. They remained unbeaten in the group stages of the competition and qualified for the round of 16 as table toppers from Group A. They face Lazio in the next round in February but before that, the reigning German champions have five games in the Bundesliga to contend with, starting with an encounter against Werder Bremen on Sunday.