Nils Schmadtke’s departure from FC Bayern continues to make headlines. After explosive allegations against the head scout of the German record champions recently came to light, the 37-year-old has now spoken out in detail for the first time. Schmadtke firmly rejects the accusations and makes it clear that the reports have nothing to do with his upcoming departure.
Bayern Munich had recently confirmed officially that Schmadtke will leave the club on January 31, 2027. His contract, which was originally set to run through the summer, will thus be terminated early. According to the club, both sides had mutually agreed to the separation.
Subsequently, however, reports emerged that cast a different light on the circumstances surrounding his departure. Among other things, Schmadtke was accused of passing on confidential information regarding squad planning to the media. His leadership style was also publicly criticized. Now, the former Bayern official has taken to LinkedIn to refute these claims.
Schmadtke Denies Allegations: “It’s About My Character”
“In scouting, you learn early on: You don’t judge people based on hearsay, but on what you’ve seen yourself,” Schmadtke explained in his detailed statement.
He said he had thought long and hard about whether he should comment at all on the reports of the past few days. Normally, he prefers to let his work speak for itself.
This time, however, he felt compelled to issue a public statement. “But this time, it’s not about my work—it’s about my character,” the 37-year-old clarified.
Schmadtke was particularly clear in addressing the accusation that he had passed on internal information to journalists. “I have never passed on confidential information to the media—neither in Munich nor anywhere else,” emphasized the former Bayern chief scout.
He also rejected criticism of his treatment of employees.
He said he had never belittled anyone under his supervision. While he admitted to being demanding and, at times, difficult when it came to quality issues, he insisted he was not disrespectful.
“None of that had anything to do with my departure.”
In his statement, Schmadtke also addressed the speculation surrounding the reasons for his departure from FC Bayern.
He explicitly refuted the claim that the recently published allegations were responsible for his departure. “Nothing that was written had even the slightest connection to my departure from FC Bayern,” the 37-year-old explained.
However, Schmadtke did not wish to disclose further details about the internal decision-making processes. He said he generally does not speak publicly about internal club matters and will continue to adhere to that policy in the future.
Instead, the executive looked back on his time with Germany’s record-holding champion.
Working for a club of this magnitude had helped him grow both professionally and personally. He said he was particularly proud of the changes within the scouting department.
According to him, they had reorganized the structures, intensified collaboration between the professional team and the youth academy, and developed new approaches to player scouting.
Schmadtke expressly emphasized that this progress would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts of his team.
In closing, he thanked his colleagues for their dedication, ideas, and trust. He wished FC Bayern all the best for the future. At the same time, Schmadtke made it clear that he is already looking ahead and is looking forward to his next professional challenge.
With his public statement, the 37-year-old is now attempting to counter the speculation that has recently surfaced.
However, the actual reasons behind the premature departure remain unclear. The only thing that is certain is that Schmadtke strongly denies the allegations made against him and explicitly rejects any connection to his departure from Bayern.