Also Kahn confidant before the end
At FC Bayern, the clean-up apparently continues
6/1/2023 4:23 p.m
At FC Bayern Munich, the big chair move goes into the next round: After the return of the long-time CEO and the departure of sports director Hasan Salihamidžić and CEO Oliver Kahn, a close confidant of Kahn will probably have to go.
According to a media report, after the separation of sports director Hasan Salihamidžić and CEO Oliver Kahn, FC Bayern also released Kahn’s office manager and close confidante Moritz Mattes. The “Bild” newspaper reported on the decision just a few days after winning the championship and the Munich staff quake. Mattes co-coordinated the international FCB business and was considered an important advisor to the former national goalkeeper Kahn.
The Chief of Staff – as Mattes’ official job title – hardly appeared in public. As several media reported, his appearance within the club was controversial. Honorary President Uli Hoeneß recently spoke of a “catastrophically bad mood” for which Kahn’s advisors are said to have been partly responsible. Hoeneß did not name any specific names. The fact that Oliver Kahn was allowed to succeed Karl-Heinz Rummenigge at the helm of FC Bayern on July 1, 2021 was probably a mistake, Hoeneß told the “kicker”: “In retrospect, you have to say that.”
Salihamidžić promotes neppe
While Mattes’ future is said to be sealed, that of Salihamidžić’s confidant Marco Neppe is probably still open. Under the ex-sports director, the squad planner was first promoted to head of the scouting department and later to technical director. Salihamidžić continued to support the 36-year-old even after his release: “He’s part of Bayern Munich and it has to stay that way.”
The end of Kahn and Salihamidžić, which was announced at the end of last week by President Herbert Hainer and Supervisory Board Uli Hoeneß and leaked to the public minutes before the final whistle of FC Bayern’s decisive championship game in Cologne, had overshadowed the first championship celebrations. The farewell to Kahn was particularly unsavory: The former boss, who shaped an era in the club as a player, fought a short public feud with Hainer, and they accused each other of misrepresenting the separation talk. The club had banned the former boss from traveling to the last game of the season, and the former Titan then spoke of the “worst day of my life”.
On Wednesday, the club announced that longtime CEO Rummenigge would return to the club and be part of the supervisory board. The previous CFO Jan-Christian Dreesen will succeed Kahn at the helm of FC Bayern Fußball AG, and a quick external solution is being sought to fill Salihamidžić’s position.