When Uli Hoeneß walked through the rain in Munich with his red FC Bayern umbrella, a board decision at his heart’s club had been made. Not the commitment of Max Eberl, who has long been considered the honorary president’s preferred candidate for the position of sports director. But a place in the executive suite is becoming available: After almost three decades, Marketing Director Andreas Jung is leaving the German soccer record champions in the summer.
Until June 30, 2024, Jung will lead the board of directors together with chairman Jan-Christian Dreesen (56) and financial officer Michael Diederich (58). The Bavarians said that the 61-year-old Jung’s assumption of responsibility “will be decided in due course.”
Jung’s decision has no causal connection to the exciting personality of Eberl (50), the area of responsibility is different. But when people talk about the board of directors that will lead the series champions into the future, the name of the former Mönchengladbach and former Leipzig manager is constantly mentioned.
Before the meeting of the supervisory board on Monday evening, President and Supervisory Board Chairman Herbert Hainer (69) asked for your understanding, “that I do not discuss such things in public. Personnel decisions are discussed and decided internally.”
Since the departure of Hasan Salihamidzic (46), who had to leave in the big bang on the championship weekend, as did Oliver Kahn (54), the position of sports director at the Munich team has been vacant. There is no need to rush to find a solution. In the winter transfer window, the work was “very well done by our Christoph Freund together with Thomas (Tuchel),” said Dreesen about the 46-year-old sports director and the coach, who were hired in September. Kahn’s successor Dreesen himself demonstrated negotiating skills in the summer, particularly with top personnel Harry Kane.
“I estimate that for the next six to twelve months we will have the staffing that the future should have,” said 71-year-old Hoeneß, outlining FC Bayern’s management roadmap last month. “Then Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and I will step back a bit to the supervisory board position, which is only supposed to be an advisory role. At the moment we also have operational tasks. Until we notice that the ship is sailing straight again.”
No new board personnel were discussed at the annual general meeting the day before the supervisory board meeting. “I think the members decide very carefully what personnel issues should be addressed here and what shouldn’t be,” said Dreesen. From a professional point of view, the 56-year-old was “reluctant to have an opinion” about Eberl. But he remembered meetings at games or in football committees. “Those were moments that were very friendly and polite. I have no reason not to have good feelings about it in any way.”
RB Leipzig parted ways with Eberl at the end of September shortly before the top game against FC Bayern. From the RB bosses’ point of view, the reason was Eberl’s lack of commitment to Leipzig. “FC Bayern has nothing to do with Max Eberl’s release from Leipzig,” emphasized Hainer recently.
After the supervisory board meeting, he thanked Jung, during whose time he was responsible for sponsorship, sales with partners increased from around 13 million euros in 1996 to around 246 million euros in the 2022/23 season. “Today, eight months before the end of his work for FC Bayern, I would like to thank Andreas Jung from the bottom of my heart on behalf of the entire club,” said Hainer.
In addition to a possible move to FC Bayern, Eberl has also already been linked to Liverpool FC. According to dpa information, the Saxons are demanding around five million euros if Eberl wants to work for a new club. RB and Eberl have apparently agreed on this.
In terms of sport, the Saxons were very satisfied with the development under Eberl. But somehow the liaison between the ex-professional and Leipzig never really worked out. His move from Gladbach to the Saxons had already caused a huge stir. In the Lower Rhine, Eberl resigned from his position as sports director in January 2022 because he felt burned out. Just a few months later he was first linked to Leipzig.
