Thomas Tuchel has left Bayern Munich after the team finished third in the Bundesliga. Despite them being just minutes away from a Champions League final spot, the German has moved on. It’s no surprise that football betting sites had already been pricing up a market on who might replace the manager.

The likes of main title rival Xabi Alonso, Zinedine Zidane, Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp were the early names in the running for the job, according to UK betting sites, so there is no shortage of star power available to Bayern. Roberti De Zerbi had been well backed in the role as favourite and he is now a free agent after leaving Brighton.

It then appeared as if Ralf Rangnick could be the chosen candidate, as he had gone from not being on the market to odds-on favourite. He has extensive experience managing in Germany but has decided to stay in charge of the Austria national team after an ill-fated stint with Manchester United. It was then another former manager of Bayern, Hansi Flick, who is short on the market. He was exceedingly successful at Bayern before a poor spell in charge of Germany. But now it is Mauricio Pochettino who is the favourite on the market after leaving the Chelsea job after just one season.

Pochettino is a huge name on the market having had successful spells in charge of Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain. He has just completed a topsy turvy season in charge of Chelsea, where he recovered from a poor start to inspire them to a sixth-place finish and just one defeat in the league from mid-February. It's no wonder betting apps have him as favourite.

Could Hansi Flick Return to the Club?

Former Bayern player Hansi Flick managed the team for just 19 months, but in that time, he led them seven trophies, including a Champions League title. He then left his role to take up the manager’s job with the German national team, which was a far less successful venture.

Bayern have previous for returning to old managers who have had success in the past, with Jupp Heynckes having two very successful spells at the club. Although seen as an outsider with most betting sites, he could be one to watch on the market. 

Roberto De Zerbi Among Favourites After Nagelsmann Ruled Out

One beneficiary of Xabi Alonso's decision to stay with Bayer Leverkusen appears to be Brighton's Roberto De Zerbi, who shortened significantly in recent weeks to lead the market with most new betting sites ahead of surprise former Bayern managers in Hansi Flick and Julian Nagelsmann. It now appeared as if the Bayern board had performed a U-turn on reappointing Nagelsmann, but he will now stay with Germany, clearing the way for De Zerbi potentially.

Is Mourinho Big Enough Name for Bayern?

Jose Mourinho was regarded as among the best managers in the world during his reigns with Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. However, after his time with Manchester United, Tottenham and Roma since, his star has fallen somewhat. He is available after being sacked by Roma earlier this season, but the early odds suggest he could be a surprise contender for the Bayern job.

Could Zidane Be Tempted Back to Management?

Zinedine Zidane has been linked with many of the top football management vacancies around the world since his departure from the Real Madrid helm in 2021. In two spells with the Madrid giants, Zidane won 11 trophies, including three Champions League titles.

However, it has long been believed that he is waiting for Didier Deschamps to step down as France manager so he can take on that role. The current odds with new betting sites suggest he might have got tired of waiting and could be interest in a return to the dugout.

Xabi Alonso Rules Himself Out

In his first full season in charge of Bayer Leverkusen, former Liverpool and Real Madrid star Xabi Alonso is pulling up trees in Germany. Leverkusen are the champions elect in Germany, 13 points clear of Bayern Munich.

Bayern have had a hard time convincing Alonso to move. Alonso was the favourite with most betting apps until he decided to stay at Leverkusen. This is even as Bayern aren’t the only giant looking for a new manager. Barcelona’s next manager and Liverpool’s next manager aren’t known with incumbents Xavi and Jurgen Klopp, respectively, leaving in the summer.