3 managers who could replace Niko Kovac at Bayern Munich

Niko Kovac paid the price for Bayern Munich's humbling 5-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt with his job. The Croat was sacked following the dismal result, which left Bayern fourth in the Bundesliga, four points off the top. This comes despite Kovac leading the Bavarians to the domestic double last year and his Bayern side currently sitting on top of their UEFA Champions League group, following a stunning 2-7 win away against Tottenham.

Things have not been good domestically this season though. A Bayern side that is typically used to running away with the league, now finds itself in an unfamiliar spot, afew rungs from the top. This, accompanied by a rather worrying trend of poor defending, has led to Kovac's dismissal. 10 games in and Bayern has already conceded 16 times, a tally not matched until you reach teams at the other end of the table. Not until you reach Hertha Berlin in 11th, do you find a team that has conceded more. Even newly-promoted side Union Berlin have conceded less, with 15.

Having won the past seven Bundesliga titles in a row, the UEFA Champions League has been the Bavarian's main priority of late. Kovac's failure to progress past the round-of-16 last season may have also contributed to his downfall, although it is worth noting that they did exit to eventual winners Liverpool.

In light of his departure, we take a look at three managers who could replace Kovac at The Allianz Arena.

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#3: Julian Nagelsmann

Julian Nagelsmann took Hoffenheim to the UEFA Champions League for the first-time in their history.

A man who has long been linked with the Bavarians, it seems to be a matter of when and not if the German takes the reins at the Allianz Arena. He's also made no secret of the fact he would be interested in managing Bayern in the past. Nagelsmann told Bild:

"This [Bayern Munich] is a nice club. Of course I can imagine that someday I will be a coach there."

Julian Nagelsmann has been highly sought after since breaking into the scene in 2015, when he became the youngest manager in Bundesliga history, taking over Hoffenheim at the age of 28. He made an instant impact, taking a club that sat 17th, seven points from safety, on a run that saw them win seven of their remaining 14 games. They finished a point above the relegation playoff spot, ensuring their survival in the German top flight.

His second season brought further success, despite being in a relegation battle when he took over the previous season, Nagelsmann managed to guide them to fourth and a UEFA Champions League spot for the first time in the club's history.

The following season he became the youngest Bundesliga manager to reach 100 games in what was his final one at Hoffenheim, as he would join RB Leipzig the following season.

With such a vast level of Bundesliga experience, his appeal to Bayern is obvious. He also suits their philosophy of developing young German players. Bayern's current German star, Serge Gnabry had great success under Nagelsmann. Their time together at Hoffenheim was crucial to Gnabry's development and subsequent move to Bayern.

Also check out: Bundesliga schedule Champions League table UCL schedule

#2: Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has been out of management since leaving Manchester United.

Bastian Schweinsteiger recently revealed that he and Jose regularly discussed Bayern Munich and the Bundesliga during their time together at Manchester United. The former Bayern captain also admitted he could see Mourinho being interested in managing in Germany. Schweinsteiger told Bild,

"I can imagine Mourinho in Germany. He has not worked in the Bundesliga, so I can well imagine that he would be tempted by a commitment in Germany."

Schweinsteiger's mention of Mourinho's in-depth knowledge of the Bundesliga is also likely to have gone down well with the Bayern hierarchy when he said,

"I remember he was always asking me about Bayern and the Bundesliga. During our away games, there was always Bundesliga on TV. He really knew every single player, even from the smaller teams. He was also learning German."

As Bayern hunt a sixth UEFA Champions League title, Mourinho's proven pedigree in the competition could be pivotal to the Bayern board's decision. Mourinho has previously claimed two UEFA Champions League crowns, once at FC Porto and once at Inter Milan.The second of which came at the expense of Bayern Munich in 2010.

This impressive collection is boosted by league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain. The Bayern job presents an interesting opportunity for Mourinho to add Germany to his already long list. His defensive acumen could help the Bavarians stop leaking goals.

#1: Erik ten Hag

Ajax's Erik ten Hag (right) is in high demand.

Erik ten Hag saw his stock rise massively last year, after guiding Ajax to a UEFA Champions League semi-final as well as the Eredivisie title in the Netherlands. This impressive continental exploit will no doubt have catapulted ten Hag closer to the top of Bayern's list of probable replacement.

Ten Hag's attractive, attacking style of play will also appeal to the Bayern board. The Dutchman usually deploys a high pressing system with fluid positioning, where players are required to be able to switch positions to cause confusion. The style requires players with high technical ability and matching intelligence and could suit the Bayern squad perfectly.

Erik ten Hag, however, has already revealed he won't leave Ajax during the season, saying,

"I feel a strong connection with my team and everyone at Ajax. I can confirm that I will stay at Ajax this season."

Bayern could however, look for an interim manager for the season, before then approaching him in the summer.

The Ajax manager has previous experience at Bayern, having worked there as coach of the reserve side. He went on to confirm he enjoyed his time there and would be open to a return in the future, saying,

"Bayern is a fantastic club and I really enjoyed working there. It's still in my heart but now I'm at Ajax." (Sky Sports)