Thomas Tuchel, a former Chelsea manager, has taken over as manager of Bayern Munich after Julian Nagelsmann was dismissed in one of the most unexpected managerial changes in recent memory.
The 35-year-old German leaves with his team one point behind league leaders Borussia Dortmund after guiding Bayern to the Bundesliga title in his first season in command last season.
After keeping the scoreless in seven of their eight European games, they are also in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, where they will play Manchester City.
The club's board was unhappy with Nagelsmann despite the fact that he only suffered three league losses all season and averaged 2.19 points per game during his 19 months in charge, which is the fourth-best total in Bundesliga history for a Bayern boss.
So much so that the choice was made to sever ties with the person who chairman Herbert Hainer had only recently described as a "perfect fit."
Bayern's managers are worried about the team's dearth of development, the struggles of highly paid players like Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane this season, and Nagelsmann's propensity to rile up important players in the dressing room.
The coach, who is unquestionably talented, ultimately had no one at the top level to defend him.
Strong results until the World Cup
It's still arguable whether there hasn't been any significant on-field improvement since his hiring from RB Leipzig in 2021.
After Nagelsmann's first season at the club, which saw Bayern win their 32nd German championship but lose in the Champions League quarterfinals, he became more self-assured and started to alter the team's tactical scheme last summer.
He changed the wing-heavy approach that had been used since Louis van Gaal took over in 2010 and allowed his side to play with a stronger center of gravity.
Bayern needed some time to adapt to Nagelsmann's changes, and to make matters worse, Bayern failed to acquire a replacement for star striker Robert Lewandowski, who left for Barcelona before the season began.
Despite this, Bayern won 10 straight games prior to the World Cup break, which in retrospect may have been the worst possible timing for Nagelsmann.
Bayern has displayed symptoms of weakness since the Bundesliga season resumed, dropping 12 points in 10 games and maintaining the German championship race.
Bayern fell to second position for the first time since October after last Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, but that alone did not persuade the board to reconsider the manager they had backed.
Conflict with keeper Neuer
In the locker area, Nagelsmann had a tendency to alienate some people.
He and Manuel Neuer never got along. Their disagreement became apparent after the captain broke his leg while skiing in December and had to witness his best buddy and goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalovic get released.
Neuer effectively kept Tapalovic at Bayern until he had to stay home, despite Nagelsmann's attempts to replace him from the start of his tenure.
The way Nagelsmann conducted himself during practices and incessantly shouted orders from the sidelines during games was frequently criticized by other players. A sizable portion of the squad felt that their coach came across as an arrogant know-it-all.
He found himself in a difficult situation due to his actions off the field, such as divorcing his wife, getting involved with a local reporter from the tabloid newspaper Bild, and following rumors about information being leaked by Nagelsmann.
Nagelsmann and his girlfriend were in Austria skiing while Bayern discussed Nagelsmann's future, which also did not sit well with some of the club's leadership.
Bayern was Nagelsmann's dream job
Despite these problems, the Thursday decisions prematurely put an end to what many people deemed a generational project.
Bayern gave RB Leipzig 25 million euros in 2021 to release Nagelsmann from his contract, and they might have to pay another 15 million if they want to get rid of him before his deal expires in 2026. Until he seeks a new club, Nagelsmann will continue to receive his monthly salary.
While prospective employers like Tottenham Hotspur might approach him shortly, they should be aware that Nagelsmann had long fantasized about managing Bayern.
When Nagelsmann was in control of Bundesliga team TSG Hoffenheim back in April 2017, he showed up at Bayern's Allianz Arena wearing a bright red coat, the team's color, to express his desire to succeed Sven-Goran Eriksson as the team's next manager.
He had to wait four more years to reach his ostensible ideal location because Bayern at the time thought he was too inexperienced.
Tuchel expected to get the best
Tuchel, his replacement, also had to deal with Bayern rejecting him in the past.
He held negotiations in 2018, soon after leaving Borussia Dortmund, but Uli Hoeness, Bayern's chairman at the time, blocked the appointment of Tuchel, and Niko Kovac took his place.
Prior to being hired by Chelsea in January 2021, Tuchel was quickly appointed by Paris St-Germain. Tuchel led Chelsea to the Champions League crown by defeating Pep Guardiola's Manchester City 1-0 in the championship match.
After being fired by the Blues in September of last year, Tuchel made the decision to return to Germany, particularly to Munich, where he is now a resident.
The 49-year-old kept an eye out for the Bayern Munich managerial position, but even recently, there was no chance that one would open up shortly.
This week, however, something shifted.
After the international break on April 1, Bayern will play Borussia Dortmund in a game that could determine the title race, putting Tuchel under pressure right away.
Ten days later, when Bayern travel to City for the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 matchup at the Etihad Stadium, Tuchel will make his way back to England.
The Bayern management will look to the new mentor to help some struggling attacking players, like Mane and Sane.
To get the most out of his squad, Tuchel refers to himself as a "players' coach." At Chelsea and PSG, he exhibited technical adaptability and was able to forge strong bonds with many of his players.
It appears that Bayern currently needs that more than anything else.