Bayern Munich have won their 11th consecutive championship in dramatic fashion, beating FC Cologne 2-1, while rivals Borussia Dortmund gave away their lead at the top of the table with a 2-2 draw against Mainz. Minutes after Jamal Musiala scored the deciding goal at Cologne, it was announced that chief executive Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic had been dismissed from their positions. Bayern midfielder Thomas Muller was surprised by the timing, saying: “That happens now? One minute after the final whistle?” Manager Thomas Tuchel, who chairman Herbert Hainer insisted would remain at the club, said: “Instead of celebrating, we now have another issue. My two main contacts are no longer here. We have to align our ideas.”
The decision to sack Kahn and Salihamidzic came after a season of managerial changes and costly misfires on the transfer market, most notably the signing of Sadio Mane from Liverpool. Jan-Christian Dreesen, the club’s long-time chief finance officer, has taken over as chief executive, while Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeness are set to serve in advisory roles, with Rummenigge becoming part of Bayern’s supervisory board. Rummenigge and Hoeness, who led Bayern for decades, will return to try to stabilise the club and use their large network in European football to ensure the next high-profile transfers have the desired effect.
Bayern are reportedly interested in Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani and Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic. Tottenham’s Harry Kane is also on the list of potential transfer targets, but Bayern are aware of the stiff competition they would face for the England captain. What Bayern desperately need is a striker who can serve as a real target player, like Robert Lewandowski before his departure in summer 2022.
However, even more important than a few hit signings this summer will be the overall presentation of the club. In good times, Bayern are known as a well-oiled machine, while in bad times have been labelled ‘FC Hollywood’, because of all the drama behind the scenes and in public. They need to get out of this phase as soon as possible by having more consistency in the manager’s office, no drama in the boardroom and fewer leaks to the media. While Rummenigge and Hoeness were not able to always keep the drama out, the two led Bayern during highly successful periods in which the club were able to beat their peers from England and Spain in the Champions League. Whether they can recreate those successes remains to be seen. The only certainty is that Bayern are still strong enough to clinch a domestic championship, albeit narrowly, and that the attempt to hand over the reins to Kahn and Salihamidzic ended at the weekend.