The surprising departure of Nils Schmadtke from FC Bayern continues to make headlines. After the German record champions officially confirmed the early departure of their head of scouting on Monday evening, explosive details are now coming to light. Among other things, the 37-year-old is said to have been accused internally of leaking confidential information regarding personnel planning.
Schmadtke will leave FC Bayern on January 31, 2027, even though his contract originally ran through next summer. Officially, both sides “mutually agreed to an early termination of the employment relationship following discussions based on trust.”
Behind the scenes, however, the decision is said to have been finalized some time ago. As SPORT1 reports, club officials had even considered ending the collaboration as early as December 1. Ultimately, however, they decided against an immediate separation.
Allegations of being a mole against Schmadtke
According to the report, persistent doubts about the work of the head scout and his department were decisive in this development.
Particularly explosive: Certain executives are said to have accused Schmadtke of leaking confidential personnel plans to the public.
While the suspicion was not directed exclusively at the longtime confidant of sporting director Max Eberl, the allegations are said to have further strained the already fragile relationship of trust.
According to SPORT1, Schmadtke had recently lost the “necessary support from all key figures.”
Previously, *kicker* had reported on internal criticism of the scouting chief’s leadership style. His treatment of employees is said to have repeatedly caused discontent. At times, his behavior was even described as “borderline.”
Whether the recently revealed allegations of being a mole are actually true has not been substantiated. FC Bayern itself has not yet commented publicly on these accusations.
Manchester United boss as a possible successor?
With Schmadtke’s departure, the record champions now face an important personnel decision. As the Abendzeitung München reports, sporting director Christoph Freund and campus director Jochen Sauer are said to be in charge of the search for a new head of scouting.
One prominent name is apparently being considered: Christopher Vivell.
The 39-year-old has extensive experience in international scouting and has previously worked for TSG Hoffenheim and within the Red Bull organization. Vivell subsequently served as technical director at Chelsea FC. He currently heads the scouting department at Manchester United.
It remains to be seen whether the Karlsruhe native is indeed a serious candidate to succeed Schmadtke.
One thing is certain: With the departure of the former head scout, Eberl is losing a close confidant whom he had brought to Munich as recently as October 2024.
Bayern’s sporting director had expressly thanked Schmadtke for his work upon his departure and highlighted his contributions to the restructuring of the scouting department.