The great drama of Max Eberl
Doesn’t anyone really want to go to FC Bayern anymore?
By Tobias Nordmann
May 2, 2024, 12:20 p.m
FC Bayern’s search continues: After Ralf Rangnick’s rejection, the record champions are now without a coach from the summer. For sports director Max Eberl, who is supposed to lead the club back to dominance, the job is becoming increasingly challenging.
Max Eberl’s time at FC Bayern has been a big drama so far. On March 1st, he took up the position of sports director at the record champions and was immediately given a huge task: a new coach is needed from the summer. Then Thomas Tuchel’s time ends. This was decided a few days before Eberl took office. An inexplicable bankruptcy at VfL Bochum meant that the club and coach no longer considered a longer future together. Once again a coach failed prematurely for the record champions. The verdict on the Tuchel era may have to be revised again if he actually reaches the final of the Champions League and possibly even brings the trophy to Munich.
How big this order was that Eberl was given and how difficult it was to implement quickly became apparent to him. The people of Munich bit their teeth on Xabi Alonso’s big solution. The Basque is so in love with his Bayer 04 Leverkusen that he publicly announced that he would stay beyond the season. If the contract was already valid, such an approach would not have been necessary. It was a painful experience for FC Bayern, the beginning of a painful journey that just doesn’t want to end. Julian Nagelsmann and, surprisingly, Ralf Rangnick also have other plans. They like their positions as national coaches of the German and Austrian national teams so much that they also stay where they are happy. The record champions have never experienced such a public barrage of cancellations.
Just another “pseudo giant”?
And what is left for FC Bayern? A big question mark for now. Who should do it now? Felix Magath, who snaps his fingers loudly like a class nerd, but has so far been persistently ignored? Small joke. But no one in Munich should be in the mood to laugh at the moment. Because they obviously hadn’t expected the third Wadschn in such a short time. Late on Tuesday evening, after the first premier class semi-final against Real Madrid, the bosses were still leaning way out of the window. The agreement with Rangnick seemed only a matter of time. And some media outlets also spread the news that the coach had declared his willingness. But now this. The third prominent rejection is a thorn in the wound for FC Bayern, which sees itself as a giant in international football. And also casts a shadow on the power of persuasion.
But perhaps a historical turning point is happening here. It is possible that the people of Munich are becoming more and more of a “pseudo giant”. At least the coaching chair has lost its gigantic appeal. Too many top people had tried to build something sustainable in recent years. Despite all the titles, it didn’t work. The last coach to work at Säbener Straße for more than two years was Josep Guardiola, who eventually moved on voluntarily. Different stories are told about each other’s failure. Sometimes they struggled with the training work (with Carlo Ancelotti), sometimes it was the dressing room’s fault (with Niko Kovac and supposedly Julian Nagelsmann) and sometimes there was a squad disagreement (Tuchel and Flick). But in Munich the coach rarely wins if he is annoyed about the transfer policy. That’s the responsibility of the bosses.
The finale “dahoam” marks a major turning point
Was that perhaps also a deterrent to Rangnick? He is seen as a person who doesn’t just want to be a coach, but also wants to be a powerful player when it comes to putting together a squad. Or did the words of Uli Hoeneß, who openly described Rangnick as the “third choice” last week, play a major role? That’s really not an appreciation. Or the sentences about Xabi Alonso, whom he (via his wife Susi) certified as having a strong character because he is staying at Bayer and not moving to FC Bayern. A professional like Hoeneß must have known the impact of his words. Officially, the matter is this way for Rangnick: His decision to stay with the Austrian national team should be “explicitly” understood not as a rejection of FC Bayern, but as “a decision for my team and our common goals.” In addition, the issue of stress was said to have been a big one. But questions remain as to why those responsible at FC Bayern apparently had such a good feeling recently?
For Eberl, the mission in Munich is becoming more and more challenging. He should successfully rebuild the team, with the first small damage from the hail of cancellations. Next year the Champions League final will take place in Munich. Another final “at home”, that should be the big stage for FC Bayern, for the end of a great team and the beginning of a new, if possible dominant and successful team. It is not unlikely that the careers of Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer will end after this. But who will be their successors? It is clear that Jamal Musiala will become the face of a new era. Star striker Harry Kane, who is breaking new records, should also be a supporting pillar for a while. But much else seems unclear. Eberl had said, which was a self-imposed task, that this season he wanted to take a close look at who was at FC Bayern, who had the “Mia san mia” in them and would therefore remain part of the team.
The renovation work is stalling
But the restructuring work in the squad is stalled until a new coach is found. Someone who has ideas and a philosophy. This will also determine who comes and who stays. In Munich it is clear to everyone that the squad cannot be tuned forever with Harry Kane transfers. In addition to star purchases, the future of the national dominator lies in the commitment, development and profitable sale of talent – in the Red Bull school. This approach would also be a big change, because FC Bayern is not known as a sales club. Now Eberl has to find a man who can take this path.
At Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he earned a reputation as a top official, he particularly proved lucky when he signed the odd Swiss Lucien Favre, who replaced the unfortunate Michael Frontzeck and thus ushered in a successful period. This was followed by André Schubert, who started furiously, but just as quickly faded away and quickly disappeared. The club stabilized again under successor Dieter Hecking before Eberl had the big idea with RB Salzburg man Marco Rose and Hecking had to leave without necessity. This led to great controversy. But at least for now the decision paid off, with Rose leading the team into the Champions League. The two crossed paths again, most recently at RB Leipzig, where Eberl’s time ended surprisingly and unpleasantly quickly.
Rose shuts down all speculation
So again, who should do it? Rose again? No, the situation on this Thursday morning is like this: “When Max calls, I always answer. Then I ask him how it’s going, what it looks like at Tegernsee, wish him all the best and hope that we’ll see each other again soon.” But not as a coach in Munich. Will it be Favre? He was recently brought into play as a placeholder to bridge the time until Bayern’s big dream with Jürgen Klopp comes true (whether that will ever happen is, however, completely open). Or are the names of tactical revolutionary Roberto De Zerbi (Brighton Hove & Albion, he actually wants to stay) and the successful star whisperer Zinedine Zidane (formerly at Real Madrid) now being heated up again? For both coaches, the language barrier was a major counterpoint.
Because there is a great longing for a German-speaking coach, the focus could also be on Hansi Flick again, who had lost the evil escalated power struggle against sports director Hasan Salihamidzic, but was otherwise very popular and successful (Champions League triumph in 2020) . Salihamidzic is long gone, as is CEO Oliver Kahn. Both had left a club in great turmoil and had harsh words thrown at them by Hoeneß. Eberl is supposed to restore inner balance. And now has the greatest possible theater between the two semi-finals of the Champions League against the steadfast Royals. He can hardly afford another rejection without damaging his position.
The most spectacular turnaround in this piece, driven by an online petition with 18,600 votes for Tuchel to stay, was shattered last week at the latest, with Hoeneß’s appearance at the FAZ panel discussion. Because the patriarch had unnecessarily accused the incumbent coach, who was recently bursting with strength and joy, of a lack of will to develop as a coach and subsequently did not want to back down from his attack a millimeter because Tuchel subsequently felt that his coaching honor had been deeply violated, Plan D is now needed , the fourth choice.