Despite winning the Bundesliga for a record 11 consecutive seasons, Bayern Munich fell into disarray under the leadership of Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidžić. There were constant disagreements over players, coaching, finances and the general direction of the club. This led to a short-term approach that nearly sent Bayern into anarchy.
Club legends Uli Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge returned to the board to restore order in their own vision. Thanks to the hires of Vincent Kompany and Max Eberl,
Bayern looks like a well-oiled machine heading into the final stretch of the season.
“We’ve just restructured our advisory board, and there’s also been a change on the supervisory board,” said Uli Hoeneß (via @iMiaSanMia). “Jan Dreesen is doing an excellent job as CEO, but ideally, we should eventually have someone at the top who, like Karl-Heinz, played at a high level himself and is willing to invest everything in leading the club. The big question is whether a player who earned 50 or 60 million in his career would take on that role today.”
From his own personal experience, Hoeneß added (via @iMiaSanMia): “It’s not about everything running smoothly, but about us feeling that the personnel situation is so well-organized that we can sit comfortably in the stands for the next 5-10 years without having to worry too much – that was always the vision we had. In our sausage factory, where my wife and I handed over the reins to our children twelve years ago, this worked out perfectly. But of course, things like that don’t always work out. We experienced that at Bayern Munich: I greatly appreciate Oliver Kahn as a person, but it just wasn’t the right fit.”
Most former players who match Hoeneß’ description would prefer to go down the coaching route rather than live in board rooms bickering over legal and financial issues. Philipp Lahm has looked like a decent option but seems to have higher aspirations than a single club.
What about Joshua Kimmich? He is stubborn, successful, and a Bayern legend. He has negotiated his own contracts, displaying an impressive prowess on the legal and financial front.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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