Carlo Ancelotti is no more at Bayern Munich: sacked after a 3-0 defeat to PSG in Paris. It appears that the Bayern board rowed in behind the heave of player power at the Allianz Arena, with the occasional non-selection of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery apparently angering the board members of FC Hollywood.
According to reports seeping out of the club since Ancelotti's sacking, he didn't see eye-to-eye with Robben, Ribery, Thomas Muller, Jerome Boateng, and Joshua Kimmich. All are integral players at Bayern, and it appears that it ultimately cost him his job. Omitting Ribery and Robben from the 3-0 shellacking in Paris was not the diplomatic concession to a demanding and occasionally dysfunctional board that has become Ancelotti's hallmark.
Robben spoke to the press after the 3-0 defeat to PSG, and he did not exactly stand up too forcefully for his manager when asked if the squad backed Ancelotti:
I won’t answer this question.
Since his sacking, Robben has apparently become more open to the notion of answering questions. Quoted in German football magazine Kicker, Robben slated Ancelotti's training methods at the club.
There’s better training at my son’s youth team.
The line from Bayern is that his methods were lacking in intensity, which is probably natural when compared to those of predecessor Pep Guardiola.
Willy Sagnol is taking temporary charge, and will likely be in situ for the rest of the season. The favourties to take the job permanently are former Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel and the current Hoffenheim manager, Julian Nagelsmann.
Perhaps one of the reasons that Ancelotti was unwilling to play Robben so often is borne out clearly in comparison to Nagelsmann: the Dutchman is three years older.
