Thomas Tuchel called out for 'very strange' Harry Kane action that saw new England boss 'almost apologise' to Bayern striker after shock defeat

Former Germany international Hamann, known for his candid opinions, has been critical of Kane’s ability to influence high-stakes matches. The scrutiny extended to international football, as Hamann questioned whether Kane should remain England's primary striker for the 2026 World Cup after his sub-par performances at last summer's European Championship and in recent Nations League matches.

Kane shares a special bond with new England manager Tuchel, who played a key role in luring the striker to Bayern Munich from Tottenham in 2023. Kane flourished under Tuchel at Allianz Arena, scoring over 40 goals across all competitions in his debut campaign for the Bundesliga giants.

However, Hamann has suggested Kane was protected by Tuchel at Bayern, pointing to the manager's comments after a 3-0 loss to RB Leipzig in the German Super Cup as particularly unusual. The game marked Kane’s debut for the Bavarian club, but he only played the last 20 minutes after joining the team a day earlier.

Speaking to Genting Casino, ex-Bayern and Liverpool midfielder Hamann said: "Perhaps England would be a better or a more dangerous team without Kane in it. Tuchel was instrumental in Kane coming to Munich. I remember Bayern played in the Super Cup, the first game of the German season, and Kane was signed the day before the game and started on the bench. He came on after 70 minutes and Bayern were losing 2-0. The game finished 3-0.

"After the game, Tuchel almost apologised to Kane for how bad the team was, which I found very strange because Kane, even if he didn't play or if he only played 20 minutes, is as much part of the team as everybody else."

Kane is currently sidelined with a muscle injury, ruling him out of action for a few weeks. His absence means current Bayern boss Vincent Kompany will have to shuffle his attack in some key fixtures, including a DFB-Pokal round of 16 clash against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday evening.