Philipp Lahm joins chorus of criticism for Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel

The 40-year-old Lahm, who led Bayern from 2011 to 2017, winning eight Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokal trophies, and the UEFA Champions League in 2013, expressed concerns over the lack of stability within the club.

"In recent years, the situation at Bayern Munich has not been easy," Lahm told Bild am Sonntag. "Continuity at all levels is crucial. It was not present: no stability, no peace. There has been unrest for years - from the leadership to the coach."

Lahm's comments come amidst a turbulent period for Bayern, with Tuchel becoming the eighth coach in the last decade. Despite this, a successor for the upcoming season has yet to be finalized, although sporting director Max Eberl confirmed that final discussions are underway.

While Lahm understands the decision to part ways with Tuchel, citing the coach's inability to establish lasting stability within the team, he also highlighted concerns over player selection. "Now, at the very end, it's starting to come together: in every important match, we see (Manuel) Neuer, (Matthijs) de Ligt, (Eric) Dier, (Joshua) Kimmich, (Leon) Goretzka, (Jamal) Musiala, and (Harry) Kane on the field," Lahm remarked. 

"These are seven players, plus Leroy Sane when he's fit, who are established. But too little work has been done on this. A team cannot be built like this!"

When asked if this was a failing on Tuchel's part, Lahm refrained from direct criticism but emphasized the importance of clearly defined roles within the team. "I'm not a coach, but I can say: when roles are clearly defined, players come together and form a team. When they're not, the opposite happens," Lahm stated.

Despite the challenges, Lahm did acknowledge improvements, particularly in Bayern's recent Champions League quarter-final victory over Arsenal, where he saw a Bayern team "working together, especially defensively. They have found themselves."

Looking ahead to the next Bundesliga season, Lahm stressed that Bayern's return to dominance rests solely on the club's ability to regain stability and continuity in key leadership positions and establish a solid team structure. 

"If the club regains stability and continuity in key leadership positions and finds a team with a backbone, Bayern will return to the top," Lahm concluded confidently.

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