MUNICH — Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic says the atmosphere within the team is not good, admitting the crushing 3-0 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain was the “last straw” leading to the dismissal of Carlo Ancelotti.
Bayern parted company with Ancelotti on Thursday, one day after the heavy Champions League defeat in Paris.
“There is not a good atmosphere in the team,” Salihamidzic said at a news conference. “We weren’t playing good football and it wasn’t getting any better. We saw weaknesses and the trainer did not manage to get us playing attractive football, simply winning is not good enough.
“We hoped it would get better but the game in Paris wasn’t good at all, it was the last straw that broke the camel’s back.”
Salihamidzic said tensions in the club had been raised by Bayern’s early-season form, but the decision to sack Ancelotti was only made after the PSG defeat.
“It wasn’t planned but we worrying observed that this season, it got worse, it wasn’t good, we had a difficult preseason and lost many games,” he said. “We were not playing well and had to act.
“It isn’t a normal situation for us to sack a trainer so early in the season. We regret it very much but we had noticed after this game that the team was not developing as we expected or wanted — how it normally is for Bayern. Therefore we were forced to react.”
Asked about Ancelotti’s adventurous team selection in Paris, his last game in charge, which is believed to have upset five Bayern players, Salihamidzic said: “It wasn’t a provocation from Carlo. The trainer was convinced that we could win with this line-up and tactics.
“It went wrong inside the first two minutes, but it was very bold in such an important game.”
Salihamidzic, 40, a Champions League winner in 2001 with the Bavarians, also explained the process as Bayern step up their search for a new manager.
Hoffenheim boss Julian Nagelsmann on Friday declined to comment on rumours linking him with the job, while Bild said former Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel is among the leading contenders.
“We need a trainer to solve all the problems we have. It’s not an easy task but we will definitely find a good solution,” he said.
“We will discuss this internally; we will not name any names and want to avoid speculation. If we describe the profile we are looking for, then all sort of speculation will start. We are exploring all possibilities.
“We want to find the best trainer at the moment for Bayern. We are not amateurs here, we are professional. [CEO] Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, [president] Uli Hoeness and I are in constant contact and will decide together for FC Bayern.
“You do not need to worry about Bayern; we will come back stronger from this situation. It’s still early in the season and we want to win the title.”
Ancelotti’s former assistant, Willy Sagnol, will take charge as interim manager for Sunday’s Bundesliga trip to Hertha Berlin as they look to improve on an indifferent start to the season, having lost one and drawn one of their opening six games to leave them third — their worst start to a Bundesliga season since 2010.
Sagnol and Salihamidzic were Champions League winning teammates in 2001.
“I expect a clear reaction from the team on Sunday, he said. “There are no longer any excuses; the game on Sunday is all that matters. We must win the game in Berlin.”
Mark Lovell covers Bayern Munich for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter: @LovellLowdown.