Oliver Kahn interview on Lewandowski and summer transfers: „No player is bigger than the club

Oliver Kahn had an interview with Welt am Sonntag earlier this week – he discussed Robert Lewandowski’s situation, among many other points:

At what transfer fee would FC Bayern consider a sale for Robert Lewandowski?

Kahn: This question does not happen. Robert Lewandowski has a contract until 2023 and he will fulfil it. FC Bayern is not and will never become a development club. FC Bayern are still a big force. There are many players who would die to play for us. A development club is forced to sell players every now and then. That is not us

Lewy said he didn’t receive a contract extension offer, Salihamidžić said he made an offer. Did the club make a concrete offer?

Kahn: We submitted a final offer to his agent. Otherwise we would not have said so

So what about this situation?

Kahn: We want to keep our top players for as long as possible. That’s why we extended the contracts of Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Kingsley Coman, and Thomas Müller. Jamal Musiala is also a cornerstone in the future

What other players would you need at FC Bayern?

Kahn: Character is very important personally. Mentality, the ability to win in all conditions, are both a decisive factor. The players have to deal with the entitlement to win every single match. Not everyone can do that. We need players who know what ie means to put the FC Bayern badge on their chest. Finding such players is becoming difficult. We don’t need players who see the club as a ’stepping stone‘, spend a short time, then leave

But Uli Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge would have acted faster and more decisive on Lewy’s and similar situations….

Kahn: I cannot comment on how either would have acted. When I started as CEO, I was aware the bar was set very high, and that there would be situations in the past which would always be mentioned. Every situation is different and I act as I see is right

What about the future?

Kahn: I’m totally convinced we are on the right path. Of course, there are some problems here and there, but that’s part of the job. When I read or hear from other clubs ‚We have a chance against FC Bayern‘, I can only tell them ‚Let’s talk again at the end of next season‘

How much can FC Bayern invest in new players?

Kahn: The main issue is salaries, which have risen steadily in recent years and are unlikely to ever go back down. Everyone is struggling with that. We lost out on 150m-200m€ due to the pandemic

So how do you prioritise this going into next season?

For me, sporting success is the top priority, but without endangering economic stability. In the future, it will be essential to analyse which risks the club can take in order to not let the gap grow between us and the top European clubs

Hasan Salihamidžić is being critiqued. Will his contract be extended beyond 2023?

Kahn: We enjoy working together and he puts all his effort for the club each day. We will analyse the season together and continue to work on FC Bayern’s success. The supervisory board is responsible for the renewal of his contract. This is out of my hands