The first participants of the quarterfinals of the Champions League will be announced tonight, but the center of attention is not the players, but the coaches who won the elite competition - Thomas Tuchel i Luis Enrique.
However, there are completely different reasons why the most talked about is the winner of the "eared" cup with Chelsea in 2021, that is, with Barcelona in 2015.
Tuhel is leaving Bayern at the end of the season at the latest, he has completely lost control over one of the "most toxic" dressing rooms in the world of football, which is why he could vacate his office at the Allianz Arena as early as tonight.
In order for this not to happen, it is necessary for the Bavarians to make up for the minus from Rome (0:1) and through Lazio to get a place among the eight best teams in Europe. The Champions League is, in fact, the only chance for Bayern to avoid a first season without a trophy since 2011/2012, as it seems impossible for them to make up 10 points in the last 10 rounds behind the playful Bundesliga leaders, Bayer Leverkusen.
- I think that the situation in front of us is very clear, and a top performance always requires some kind of pressure. Our latest results do not allow us to feel relieved, the pressure is necessary for us. We have to win by two points against the Italian team, against the team he leads Maurizio Sari. The bar is set high - said Tuchel.
The trophy-winning coach, who led Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern in the 2020 Champions League final, does not want to think about leaving Zebener Strasse.
- I will not resign even if we are relegated. I know what we agreed on, we immediately informed the public about it, but be sure that no one has a greater desire than me to kick out Lazio. Every minute will count. We need patience, we mustn't get frustrated if we don't score a goal right away. But we must not waste time, because it is now in the hands of Lazio - said Tuhel.
Sari: I feel positive vibes
Lazio arrived with capital in the capital of Bavaria, and the experienced expert from Tuscany said that the behavior of the team gives him reason for optimism.
- I feel positive vibes in the team, it seems to me that something has changed among the players. It will not be easy to reach the quarter-finals, because Bayern has enormous quality. We will have to fight a lot in defense, but also try to attack. It is necessary to be brave and determined, to make sacrifices and suffer, because nothing is impossible in football - said Sara and noted that he was delighted with how his team played in the Serie A derby against Milan with one less player.
Toti, Messi, Alba, Ramos and now Mbappe
The second match of the evening will be played in Donostia, as the Basques call San Sebastian, where Real Sociedad will try to do the impossible - to make up for the two-goal deficit against Paris Saint-Germain (0:2).
Tim Imanola Alguasil has impressed many times this season, finished the group ahead of European vice-champion Inter, but it is clear that he has a very difficult task ahead of him. His trump card can only be an affair created even by the media, because Luis Enrique was taken out of the game at halftime of the derby with Monaco on Friday. Kylian Mbappe, clearly unhappy with his release.
The Spanish "Mark" was immediately reminded of all the previous conflicts of the 53-year-old expert from Gijon with the stars of the teams he led - Francis Toti in Roma, Lionel Messi i Giordi Alba in Barcelona, and Sergio Ramos, which he omitted from the European Championship in 2021.
At yesterday's press conference, Enrique did not want to delve too much into the situation with the striker who is on the doorstep of Real Madrid and answered whether the first star of the team resented him for the change in the Principality.
- We have such an important match ahead of us that there is no need to comment on anything else. It's easy to solve this - you hear the question that the journalists ask you and answer what you want.
An interesting situation happened at the conference, because the translator did not understand the question well. A journalist came to his aid and asked Enrique in Spanish if Mbappe might play behind the striker or if he would be taken out of the game on a long rest. His response was in the style he announced - you say what you want:
- Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Who knows.
The matches at "Alliance Arena" and "Anoeti" start at 21:XNUMX p.m.
Bonus video:
