During his short time in office at RB Leipzig, Bayern sporting director Max Eberl has clearly not only made friends. Now a former RB professional is lashing out at him.
How tough is Max Eberl’s negotiating? Joshua Kimmich, Leroy Sané and Alphonso Davies will be asking themselves this question at the moment. The trio’s contracts at FC Bayern each expire in the summer of 2025.
During his time as Managing Director of Sport at RB Leipzig, Eberl apparently paid little heed to previous achievements for the club. At least that is what long-time RB professional Emil Forsberg claims.
In an interview with Sport BILD, Forsberg takes on the current Bayern sports director.
The Swede moved to the New York Red Bulls in the MLS in the winter. However, he actually wanted to stay in Leipzig for longer and therefore negotiated with Eberl last summer to extend his contract, which runs until 2025. „That was my goal and that of my advisor Hasan Cetinkaya when we spoke to the club about an extension in the summer. I really wanted to stay, but I wanted a perspective beyond 2025,“ said the 32-year-old.
Eberl offers Forsberg a significant salary waiver
„But then things happened and the whole thing took a different direction,“ he continued, explaining why his plan didn’t work out. Eberl had „made an offer that I didn’t value. I didn’t want to earn more, I would even have accepted a slightly lower salary. But then I was supposed to give up 50 per cent. I didn’t feel respected! I’ve always given everything for Leipzig.“
Forsberg came to Leipzig in 2015, when RB were still playing in the second division. Over the course of his nine years with the Saxons, he played a decisive role in the young club’s successes: Reaching the Champions League semi-finals and winning the DFB Cup twice. With 325 goals, he ranks second among Leipzig’s record players.
the attacking midfielder scored 71 goals and made 68 assists for the Bulls. Forsberg was therefore one of the cornerstones of RB’s rise to become a top club. The desire for more appreciation is understandable.
Eberl was sacked by RB in September after the negotiations described by Forsberg. In the meantime, however, Forsberg was already in talks with Red Bull boss Oliver Mintzlaff about a move to New York, which he ultimately decided on.
