On the field, things are going almost perfectly for FC Bayern right now. Behind the scenes, however, the situation appears to be significantly more tense. Following the decision to part ways with head of scouting Nils Schmadtke, the Munich club has now officially confirmed its next personnel change. At the same time, there is new speculation about an internal power struggle in which sporting director Max Eberl is said to be playing a central role.
As the German record champion announced on Wednesday, FC Bayern and Florian Zahn have mutually agreed to end their working relationship. The former team leader for scouting and roster planning in youth soccer is thus leaving the club after seven years.
Kicker and t-online had previously reported in unison on the impending departure. The personnel changes are part of a larger restructuring. Going forward, sporting director Christoph Freund and youth director Jochen Sauer are set to take over responsibility at the campus. However, according to t-online, it is precisely this reorganization that is causing significant tension within the club’s sporting leadership.
Eberl is reportedly dissatisfied with Schmadtke’s departure
Regardless of the official separation, the reorganization of the scouting department is apparently causing unrest.
According to t-online, an internal “power struggle” has developed at Säbener Straße, and it is reportedly intensifying.
Sports Director Max Eberl, in particular, is said to be anything but happy with the latest personnel decisions. The main reason is the departure of Nils Schmadtke, who is one of Eberl’s long-time confidants.
The two know each other from their time together at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Schmadtke had come to Munich at Eberl’s request and had taken on an important role in the restructuring of the scouting department.
There has been speculation for quite some time that Eberl and Christoph Freund have differing views on the club’s sporting direction.
The new division of responsibilities at the campus could further exacerbate this situation. After all, Eberl is apparently losing direct influence there.
However, the 53-year-old is not entirely without a say. As sporting director, he still holds a veto right over important personnel decisions.
Did Eberl block a Vivell transfer?
Particularly explosive in this context is additional information from t-online. According to the report, Eberl may have recently exercised his veto power, thereby preventing the signing of Christopher Vivell.
The 39-year-old was at one point considered a possible successor to Schmadtke. Vivell previously worked closely with Christoph Freund at RB Salzburg and has extensive experience in international scouting.
Signing him could therefore have strengthened Freund’s position within the sports management team.
However, there is another possible reason why the transfer did not go through. Vivell is currently under contract with Manchester United and would have been correspondingly expensive.
According to t-online, Eberl was not the only one who viewed the signing critically. It has not been confirmed whether the sporting director personally blocked the move.
Bayern apparently are opting for an internal solution
Instead of hiring a new head of scouting from outside the club, the Munich-based club apparently intends to consolidate its existing structures more closely.
As reported by *kicker*, a return to a unified scouting system is emerging, particularly in the youth development sector. This could render a dedicated department head unnecessary in the future.
The responsibilities of the departed Nils Schmadtke are also to be distributed internally. According to information from Sky, chief scout Christoph Kresse will take on additional responsibilities.
Accordingly, there are no plans to hire an external candidate for the time being.
With the officially confirmed departure of Florian Zahn, the personnel reshuffle at FC Bayern continues to take shape. While Freund and Sauer will play central roles at the campus going forward, it remains to be seen how Eberl’s position within the sports management team will evolve.
In any case, the latest reports show that the changes at Säbener Straße are not happening quietly. Whether this will actually lead to an open power struggle remains to be seen.