Leon Goretzka’s contract extension at FC Bayern has been the subject of much debate in recent years, and now former Bayern boss Oliver Kahn has spoken out on the controversial decision
In the summer of 2021, Goretzka extended his contract with the German record champions ahead of schedule until 2026. At the time, the international received a significant pay rise and was now one of the top earners at Säbener Straße
In retrospect, this deal was viewed critically by many experts, with the midfielder’s lack of consistency in the years following the extension leading to repeated discussions about the 31-year-old’s high salary
Kahn rejects criticism
Oliver Kahn, however, did not want to leave this criticism uncommented. In the Doppelpass on SPORT1, the former FC Bayern CEO clearly defended the decision at the time. „You were still criticizing us at the time,“ explained Kahn with regard to the public debate
When presenter Florian König interjected that the extension was „too expensive“, the former Bayern keeper clearly disagreed. „From my point of view, those were market conditions,“ Kahn clarified
According to reports, Goretzka most recently earned just under €20 million per year at FC Bayern. This salary was increasingly seen as a problem internally, especially in the wake of the current cost-cutting measures. This was one of the reasons why those responsible ultimately decided against extending the expiring contract
After eight years, Goretzka’s chapter at FC Bayern will come to an end in the summer
„Absolute character in the team“
For Oliver Kahn, the midfielder nevertheless remains an important part of Bayern’s recent history. Above all, the personality of the international player clearly impresses the former CEO to this day. „Because he is an absolute character in the team and important,“ explained Kahn
He particularly emphasized Goretzka’s mentality: „Because he has leader qualities here and there and shows them, because he is someone who can also deliver under great pressure,“ the former Bayern boss continued
In sporting terms, their time together will finally come to an end in the summer. Although it is still officially unclear where Goretzka will move to afterwards, there have recently been increasing indications of a move to Serie A. AC Milan in particular are still considered the hottest candidate to sign the midfielder
However, a final decision has not yet been made.