The following statements have been met with considerable astonishment!
In a significant match against Leverkusen, which ended in a 0:3 defeat, central defender Matthijs de Ligt (24) was consigned to the bench for the entire 90 minutes. Contrarily, Bayern’s coach Thomas Tuchel (50) decided to deploy recent recruit Eric Dier (30), Minjae Kim (25), and Dayot Upamecano (25) in a three-man defensive line.
Post the game, the Dutch player was visibly upset. The usually candid de Ligt issued an apology to the reporters waiting for his reaction, emphasizing that he did not get a chance to play in the game.
However, Tuchel seemed to have a different perspective on the matter. Ahead of the first leg in the round of 16 in the Champions League against Lazio Rome (Wednesday, 9 p.m.), he explained why de Ligt was relegated to the bench.
Tuchel contradicts Bayern’s star player!
The coach stated, “The decision to keep him on the bench over the weekend was a tough one. He was experiencing a minor back issue and underwent treatment at the hotel before the game. Consequently, I decided against taking the risk of letting him start the game. Since Upamecano was not fit to play for 90 minutes, I couldn’t risk the possibility of Matthijs developing a back problem during the match. Although I was 95 percent sure he could handle it, it was the remaining five percent uncertainty that led me to my decision.”
These statements will likely come as a surprise to Matthijs de Ligt. Which side of the story is accurate remains to be seen.
One thing is clear: the relationship between the coach and the player appears to be strained. Under former Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann (36), de Ligt was the head of defense.
With Tuchel, he only gets to play when the team is short-staffed. If there are other defensive options available, de Ligt often finds himself on the bench.
Nonetheless, Tuchel doesn’t concur with the perception that de Ligt is at the bottom of his list of central defenders. When asked about this, Tuchel responded, “Number four central defender? These are categories that I cannot agree with. I don’t have a ranking system in my office. Matthijs is one of four central defenders. But currently, there is no definitive number one or number four. Everyone is vying for positions. With the return of Dayot Upamecano (recovering from a torn thigh muscle fiber, editor) and Minjae Kim (Asian Cup, editor), the competition is extremely fierce.”
