Following the announced departure of head scout Nils Schmadtke, the next exciting personnel decision is on the horizon at FC Bayern. The German record champions must fill this key scouting position. Christopher Vivell of Manchester United is already being touted as a prominent candidate. However, there appears to be no consensus within the club’s sporting leadership regarding a potential hire.
As BILD soccer editor Christian Falk and reporter Julian Agardi report on the “Bayern Insider” podcast, Vivell is among the names being discussed as a potential successor to Schmadtke. The 39-year-old knows sporting director Christoph Freund from his time in the Red Bull universe and could be an interesting candidate because of this connection.
However, there appears to be resistance to a potential hire. According to information from the tz, sporting director Max Eberl is reportedly not convinced about bringing another high-ranking official with a Red Bull background to Munich. This could make the search for a new head of scouting more complicated than initially anticipated.
Eberl apparently had no intention of losing Schmadtke at all
Even the circumstances surrounding Nils Schmadtke’s departure raise questions. The 37-year-old will leave FC Bayern on January 31, 2027, even though his contract was originally set to run through the summer.
According to information from Christian Falk, Eberl would have liked to keep his close confidant. “That must have come from the very top. Max Eberl apparently would have really liked to keep him, but couldn’t fight for him anymore,” the BILD reporter explained.
Accordingly, the decision to part ways may have been made at a higher management level. Recently, reports had surfaced about internal disagreements and criticism of Schmadtke’s leadership style. There were also allegations that he had passed on confidential information to the media.
Schmadtke himself has since firmly rejected these accusations. In a detailed statement on LinkedIn, he emphasized that he had never passed on confidential information or disparaged employees.
The former chief scout also explicitly denied any connection between the published allegations and his departure from FC Bayern.
Interest in Vivell cools: Eberl apparently not convinced
In the search for a successor, Christopher Vivell could, in principle, be an interesting option. The 39-year-old has experience in international scouting and has already worked for several well-known clubs. He is currently under contract with Manchester United.
His connection to Christoph Freund, in particular, could be a factor in favor of a move to Munich. Agardi explains in the podcast: “I could imagine that he himself is certainly very interested in joining FC Bayern.”
However, such a move does not appear to be imminent at this time. As the tz reports, interest in Vivell has cooled significantly recently. A major reason is said to be Max Eberl’s reservations.
The sporting director is reportedly skeptical of the idea of bringing another key decision-maker from the Red Bull network to FC Bayern.
It would likely not be the first time that Eberl and Freund have disagreed on personnel decisions. In the past, there have been repeated reports of a strained relationship between the two.
According to BILD, Chris Kresse is also being considered as a possible interim solution. The current Bayern employee could initially take on additional responsibilities within the scouting department. This would give the Munich club more time to find a permanent solution.
This personnel decision is also of great importance with an eye toward the upcoming transfer windows. After all, one of the scouting department’s roles is to identify new talent and prepare potential signings well in advance.