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Chelsea chiefs fuming with Thomas Tuchel as new Bayern Munich boss looks to raid old club
Chelsea have been left unhappy with Bayern Munich's approach as Thomas Tuchel looks to reunite with one of his former colleagues.
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Chelsea are unhappy with Bayern Munich and former boss Thomas Tuchel after making their intention public to poach Anthony Barry from the Premier League club, reports say. The German boss took charge of the Bundesliga giants last week and wants to reunite with his former assistant in Germany, who is currently part of Graham Potter's backroom team, but such a move could prove difficult due to their conduct in establishing their interest.
The 49-year-old has signed a deal with the Bavarian club until 2025 after succeeding Julian Nagelsmann, who was sacked on Friday. It is his first coaching role since he was axed by Todd Boehly six months ago, following a disagreement over transfer policy and the club's future vision.
Tuchel confirmed in his press conference that he would be instructing his new club to try and bring Barry with him to Munich after working with the highly-rated coach during his 20-month stint at Stamford Bridge.
And it is understood that public stance - before even discussing the move or submitting an approach with Chelsea - has irked senior officials at the west London club.
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According to The Guardian, Stamford Bridge chiefs are 'disappointed' with their former manager for going public with his interest in Barry before 'formal lines of communication were opened'. That could have an effect on whether Chelsea allow Barry to leave, although they may not stand in his way if he makes his desire to go clear.
Speaking about the quick nature of his appointment, Tuchel told reporters in a news conference: “My coaching staff wasn’t prepared either, so a big thank you to their families for their flexibility.
“Arno Michels and Zsolt Low, who have been working with me for over 10 years, will be there. We’re hoping to add Anthony Barry, who is currently at Chelsea.” He later added: “We’re fighting for that and we’re confident because it’s my absolute wish.”
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Barry has been linked with several managerial positions, most recently the vacant job at Huddersfield Town. But the Blues have turned down approaches from other clubs to hire him for their own backroom team, as Potter sees him as a valued member of the setup due to his set-piece expertise and man-management skills.
The Englishman, 36, has previously worked with the Republic of Ireland and currently has a part-time role with the Portugal national team. There is no indication yet as to whether Barry would push to join Tuchel, but he has previously revealed his admiration for the German boss and that could be crucial to convincing him to leave.
"From Thomas to Arno, Benni [Weber] and Jogi [Zsolt Low], these are top people," Barry told the club's official website in July 2022. "The way they’ve been with me and the way they’ve brought me into the staff, I couldn’t be more thankful.
"The level of work that they produce, for a young coach like me to be around it, to help and share my ideas inside a circle like that, is simply first-class."