Third division club TSV 1860 Munich is still unbeaten in 2024. However, one player has fallen victim to the upswing under new coach Argirios Giannikis.

Niklas Tarnat moved from Rot-Weiss Essen to TSV 1860 Munich last summer on a free transfer within the 3rd division after his contract at Hafenstrasse was not renewed.

The central midfielder got off to a solid start with the “Lions” and made eleven appearances in the starting eleven in the first half of the season. Under coach Maurizio Jaccobacci, Tarnat was an absolute fixture in the center, especially at the start of the season.

However, things are now going really badly for the son of ex-Bayern professional Michael Tarnat. Since new coach Argirios Giannikis, who also has an RWE past, took over the helm at Grünwalder Straße in January, the 25-year-old has played no part at all.

Tarnat has not made a single appearance in the eight games under Giannikis and has been waiting for a third league outing since mid-December: zero of a possible 720 minutes speaks for itself as to where Tarnat stands with the new coach – namely on the sidelines. According to media reports, he was even a candidate for sale in the winter.

Particularly precarious: seven times in a row, Tarnat was not even part of the Munich squad of 20 and only sat in the stands. At least he was part of the squad for the first time in the Giannikis era in the recent 1-0 win in Verl. The reason, however, was the absence of midfielder Manfred Starke due to injury (lumbago)

In central midfield, it’s all about internalizing the content. Tarnat certainly has outstanding skills on the foot, but it’s about fitting in. The others have done better so far.

Argirios Giannikis on Tarnat

“In central midfield, it’s currently about internalizing the content. Tarnat certainly has outstanding skills on his feet, but it’s about fitting in. The others have done better so far. As the U-rule is also an issue, he has been left out so far,” said Giannikis recently with regard to Tarnat.

The success proves the Greek right: since he took over, 1860 are unbeaten in eight third division games and have only conceded four goals in this period. As a result, there is little hope for the 25-year-old Tarnat, whose contract expires at the end of the season, that the situation will soon change for the better.

Born in Solingen, he was under contract with Rot-Weiss Essen from 2021 to 2023, where he played 63 competitive matches and won promotion to the 3rd division with the traditional club in 2022