Anthony Barry has joined Bayern Munich as assistant manager to Thomas Tuchel after the German giants struck a seven-figure deal with Chelsea to bring the highly-rated coach to the Allianz Arena.
The former assistant manager of Stephen Kenny joined Chelsea during Frank Lampard's initial spell at the club and was kept on by Tuchel after the German replaced Lampard in 2021.
The pair worked closely together during Tuchel's time in London, and the new Bayern Munich boss is said to be delighted to have acquired the services of the 36-year-old.
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The Blues were reluctant to lose the services of Barry, who was given permission to take up a dual role with the Portugal national team earlier this year.
The former Wigan Athletic coach had even agreed to stay away from the club's Cobham training base while negotiations between Chelsea and Bayern took place, but it was confirmed by The Times on Thursday that a deal worth £1million had finally been reached.
And Tuchel couldn't hide his delight during his pre-match press conference when he confirmed that Barry is now part of his new team before signing the coach's praises.
The Bayern boss said: “He’s arrived. I’m very happy. We really wanted to have him with us. He’s a great personality, passion and quality, whether it’s the details or set piece situations. I’ve not seen such a level before.”
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Pinching Barry will be seen as a major coup by Tuchel, who was dismissed from his role at Stamford Bridge back in September - just weeks after Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital acquired the club following the departure of Roman Abramovich.
Despite a difficult start to the season, Tuchel was still a popular figure amongst the Chelsea fanbase, who were stunned by his sudden departure. His successor, Graham Potter, lasted just six months before he too was dismissed by the Blues hierarchy earlier this month.
Tuchel admitted after taking up the post with Bayern that he was hurt after learning his Chelsea fate in an abrupt meeting. He told The Mail last month: "It was a shock. I felt it, strangely, when I drove to the training centre. The meeting we had felt unusual – and it turned out to be a very short meeting. It was 8am, or something, and it lasted three to five minutes. I was also not in the mood to talk longer.
"The decision had been made and, honestly, it was a shock for all of us. We had a feeling that we were in the right spot at the right time. We felt that we could achieve big things and we wanted to stay longer – it was as simple as that."
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