[24] This coincided with Tuchel's employment of René Marić and Martin Rafelt, founders of the tactics blog Spielverlagerung, to compile occasional scouting reports on Mainz's opponents.

[27] Allagui's lack of form added to Mainz's issues in attack, although new signing Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was able to score ten goals, and midfielder Julian Baumgartlinger's organization and discipline helped the team and "marked him out" as a future club captain.

[38] Dortmund, inquiring over the availability of various coaches, quickly decided on Tuchel, eager to incorporate a similar press-based footballing philosophy made a club trademark under Klopp.

[19] Tuchel also utilized a 4–2–3–1 formation at Dortmund; players like Shinji Kagawa, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and the deep-dropping Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would make overloads in pockets of space in-between the lines.

[49] Dortmund went on to return the final of the DFB-Pokal, where Tuchel won his first ever major honor as a coach, as well as the club's first trophy in five years, as they beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2–1, with goals from both Dembélé and Aubameyang.

[54] His tenure as first-team coach was marred with controversy, with a strained relationship with the club's hierarchy, notably CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke,[55] who described Tuchel as a "difficult person".

[5] Tuchel publicly criticized Watzke after he agreed to UEFA's demand that the club play their Champions League quarter-final first leg match against Monaco on 12 April 2017, one day after the team's bus being bombed.

[90][91][92] Meanwhile, the club let go of strong personalities in Buffon, Dani Alves, and Adrien Rabiot, and profited from the sales of several fringe players, including Moussa Diaby, Timothy Weah, and Grzegorz Krychowiak.

[102] In the club's first game in that season's UEFA Champions League, Tuchel received praise for his tactical setup as PSG defeated thirteen-time winners Real Madrid 3–0 at home; the victory occurred without recognized first-team players Neymar, Edinson Cavani, and Mbappé.

[135][134] Before leaving Paris, Tuchel facilitated the medical expenses for his housemaid's child's heart surgery and helped her return home to the Philippines by purchasing her family a property in the country.

[145] This run was eventually extended to eight games after Chelsea defeated Atlético Madrid 1–0 away in the first leg of the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League, with Olivier Giroud scoring an overhead kick.

[171] Tuchel, who was reluctantly the face of the club amidst off-field turmoil, was praised by Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian for being "a voice of calm and reason throughout the most unsettling period in Chelsea's history.

"[172] He then reaffirmed his commitment to the club, despite interest from Manchester United and Barcelona,[172][173] although renewing player contracts was made difficult due to the restrictions,[174] with the deals for Antonio Rüdiger and Andreas Christensen running out at the season's end.

Sources connected with Chelsea claimed Tuchel was inconsistent regarding transfers, expressing both reluctance and support towards potential moves for Gabriel Jesus, Edson Álvarez, Roméo Lavia, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

[202] On his departure, Tuchel wrote an open letter, detailing how he had not anticipated leaving Chelsea "for many years" and saying he felt "honoured to have been a part of [the] club's history" and that "the memories of the last 19 months [would] always have a special place in [his] heart".

[222][223] Bayern lost in 3–0 to RB Leipzig in the 2023 DFL-Supercup on 12 August but began a strong start to the Bundesliga season (which included one defeat in their first sixteen matches), albeit, they were eliminated from the DFB-Pokal in an upset on 1 November against 1.

[225] Bayern were beaten 1–0 by Lazio in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on 14 February, despite enlisting mid-season squad reinforcements in the form of Eric Dier on loan and Sacha Boey for €30 million.

[240] There was criticism for his pragmatic style of play (such as his instruction to fullbacks Raphaël Guerreiro and Noussair Mazraoui to remain deep and forwards Leroy Sané and Musiala to stay wide) to prevent counterattacks after conceding in the first leg of their Champions League knockout tie against Lazio.

[250][251] His backroom team is expected to consist of his own and existing FA staff (including his former Chelsea and Bayern Munich assistant coach Anthony Barry) and his contract stipulates a financial bonus for winning the FIFA World Cup.

[6] Sources close to Chelsea noted Tuchel's training sessions at the club featured a light tone, with a wide range of drills including smaller footballs or using hands instead of feet in some games.

[262][263][264][265][266] Writing for The Athletic, Liam Twomey and Sebastian Stafford-Bloor said Tuchel's Mainz side prioritized adaptability in their approach, changing formation or tactical set-up multiple times each game to negate the particular strengths of their opponent.

[260] At Paris Saint-Germain, Tuchel primarily played a 4–3–3 with plenty of flair to emphasize the attacking capabilities of wide forwards Neymar and Mbappé (although he used up to ten different formations while at the club).

[267] Writing for The Athletic, Thom Harris and Mark Carey stated Tuchel's ideas hinge on controlling possession in midfield and overloading the centre of the pitch with technical players who can both retain the ball and press quickly when it is lost.

In a 4–1 home win against Rennes in January 2019,[271] PSG lined up in a 4–2–2–2 formation; in possession, one defensive midfielder would drop between the central defenders to create a back three while the fullbacks pushed forward.

Tuchel also sought out online tactical blogs instead of established coaches to inform his footballing ideas: he later hired René Marić of Spielverlagerung at Borussia Dortmund to compile scouting reports.

[37] At Borussia Dortmund, he introduced the concept of “differential learning” patented by sport scientist Wolfgang Schollhorn, which informs that player skill is not honed by repetition but by confronting an ever-changing set of problems which demands constant adjustments.

[37] In November 2021, Barney Ronay wrote in The Guardian that "Tuchel's acuity, his tendency in pre- and post-match TV appearances to blurt out original thoughts, to riff on the spot, turning this thing around in his hand, seeing its edges" is a microcosm of his footballing approach.

At Mainz, during a bike tour up a mountain, Tuchel buried the club badge and told the youth team that if they reached the 2009 U-19 Bundesliga final, he would retrieve it; according to under-19 player Konstantin Fring, "We all had goosebumps.

[20] Speaking on his management style, Marcus Bettinelli noted Tuchel emphasizes personableness with playing and non-playing staff, saying, "...whether you're the chef, the bin man or gardener [you can] feel the atmosphere.

[278] Writing for The Athletic, Simon Johnson reported Tuchel gave "brutal" criticism to some Chelsea players for failing to carry out his tactics, causing tension in the squad.