The “Bild” newspaper announced on Friday morning that those responsible at the record champions had decided not to offer Boateng a contract because of the new trial against the 35-year-old.
However, Tuchel relegated any reports at the press conference before Sunday’s Bundesliga home game against SC Freiburg (7:30 p.m. in the live ticker) to the realm of fables.
“We will decide this together. It doesn’t just have a sporting component. We take our time and don’t let ourselves get carried away. Not even through supposed publications that the decision has already been made,” emphasized the 50-year-old and added with regard to the trial against Boateng:
“As someone responsible for sports, I would like football decisions to be just football decisions without prejudice and other things.”
Tuchel on Boateng trial training: “Absolute emergency situation”
The 2014 world champion had been taking part in Munich’s training since Sunday and was originally supposed to be hired as a replacement for the sparse defense.
“He is an extremely deserving player for the club. He also needed team training to take the next step in his fitness. It was an absolute emergency situation in central defense when in Münster (in the first round of the DFB Cup; Note d. Red.) there was no central defender left in the squad,” Tuchel continued, explaining:
“That was the basis. Now some time has passed, we are smarter than before and will make a decision this afternoon.”
Boateng was recently without a club
Those responsible at FC Bayern repeatedly emphasized the presumption of innocence regarding the trial against Boateng, but there was increasing criticism of the Munich plan.
Boateng, who is currently without a club after two years at Olympique Lyon, was sentenced to a total of 1.2 million euros in November 2022 for attacks on his ex-girlfriend.
After the Bavarian Supreme Court recently overturned the conviction for bodily harm and insult, the trial is now being reopened again.
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