It appears that FC Bayern is set to make another personnel change. The German record champions are likely to end their collaboration with head scout Nils Schmadtke ahead of schedule. Although his contract originally runs through the summer of 2027, the separation is expected to be finalized by the end of this year.
As reported by the *Abendzeitung*, the club has decided to end its working relationship with Schmadtke. The 40-year-old is considered a close confidant of sporting director Max Eberl. Internally, however, there has reportedly been criticism of his work for quite some time. Accordingly, club officials have now agreed not to continue the partnership as originally planned.
The decision comes as quite a surprise, given that Schmadtke had only joined FC Bayern in the summer of 2023. At that time, he took on the role of chief scout and was tasked with helping to develop the Munich squad through targeted player recruitment. His connection to Eberl also dates back to their previous stints together.
Bayern is already looking for a successor
With Schmadtke’s impending departure, the search for a new solution for the scouting department has become necessary. According to the report, sporting director Christoph Freund and Jochen Sauer are said to have been tasked with jointly searching for a successor.
Sauer is now in charge of the German record champion’s training campus and is expected to drive the hiring process forward together with Freund.
In this process, a candidate with international experience could come into focus. Christopher Vivell is being mentioned as a possible candidate. The 38-year-old currently serves as Head of Scouting at Manchester United.
Previously, he gained experience in international soccer at clubs including RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg. However, there have been no reports of concrete contact or advanced discussions with the Englishman so far.
A New Direction in Scouting?
This personnel decision is also interesting because Schmadtke was considered a close confidant of Eberl. The fact that their collaboration is now set to end prematurely despite this connection suggests that internal criticism apparently carried considerable weight. The specific reasons that ultimately proved decisive are not yet known in detail.
This marks the start of an important task for Freund and Sauer. The new head scout is expected to play a central role in identifying potential reinforcements and supporting the sporting management in squad planning. Vivell is already being mentioned as a possible candidate. However, it remains to be seen whether Bayern’s top choice could actually make the move from Manchester to Munich.