Bayern’s Final Opportunity in the Champions League

The phrase “all or nothing” has never been more fitting for a sports game than it is for Tuesday evening’s match in Munich. The Bayern will be hosting the second leg of the Champions League against Lazio Rome (9 p.m./live Sky). Following the first leg in Rome, Lazio is leading the game 1-0. The stakes are high for Bayern; if they don’t win by a two-goal difference, they will walk away without anything to show for their efforts. This is the first time since 2012 that the Munich stars are facing the prospect of a season without a title. They are currently ten points behind Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, and they have already been eliminated from the DFB Cup.

For the Champions League, Bayern had set a minimum target of reaching the semi-finals. Being eliminated by Lazio, who currently stand at ninth place in the Italian Serie A, would not only be humiliating, but it would also trigger the downfall of their coach, Thomas Tuchel . Tuchel’s contract is set to end at the close of the season and if he were to be eliminated by Lazio, his reputation as the 2021 Champions League winner with Chelsea would take a hit. According to Bild-Zeitung, if he were to depart now, it would be “only logical, since the problems between coach and team as well as coach and club are so obvious.”

Not only would an elimination spell disaster for Bayern in terms of prestige, but it would also have serious financial consequences. A total of up to 43.1 million euros in UEFA bonuses are at stake on Tuesday. This is the amount the German record champions would collect this season if they won the title. But given their recent performance, this seems highly unlikely.

The million dollar game

The game against Lazio is worth 10.6 million euros to each quarter-finalist from the bonus pot. If they make it to the semi-finals, they will earn an additional 12.5 million euros. The team that wins the title on June 1st at London’s Wembley Stadium will be rewarded with 20 million euros, while the runner-up will receive a consolation prize of 15.5 million euros.

Bayern is already counting on 75.42 million euros this season. This includes income from four home games and money from the market pool, which is expected to exceed 20 million euros. If Bayern win against Lazio, they would once again surpass the 100 million euro mark this season.

There are already speculations about who will replace Tuchel if he has to leave Munich on Wednesday. Lothar Matthäus has suggested club icon Hermann Gerland (69) as a potential replacement. Gerland, who has been an assistant coach under Hansi Flick at Bayern and the German national team, is well-versed in the workings of Bayern Munich.