“Ready to Reach Out”
Bayern boss has hope in dispute with Oliver Kahn
06/11/2023, 3:35 p.m
FC Bayern Munich wants to reconcile with its ousted former CEO Oliver Kahn. The first step has been taken. In any case, the president of the record champions is confident despite bad words.
Bayern Munich President Herbert Hainer is firmly convinced that the strained relationship with the sacked CEO Oliver Kahn will improve again. “I spoke to Oliver Kahn on the phone last week. FC Bayern Munich is always ready to reach out. I’m also relatively sure that the relationship will return to normal and that Oliver will return to the FC Bayern family,” he said 68-year-old at Bild-TV.
After a turbulent season with only one title, the Munich team parted ways with their leading duo at the end of the season. While the release from sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić was mutually agreed, the separation from Kahn was accompanied by some background noise. “I would like to celebrate with you, but unfortunately I can’t be with you today because I was forbidden to do so,” tweeted the ousted CEO after the final whistle of the last Bundesliga game in Cologne.
And in order to quickly clear up any misunderstandings, he hastily edited his entry again: “Because the club has forbidden me to do it.” Kahn later criticized the club again for excluding him from the championship celebrations. “That was the worst day of my life, taking away from partying with the boys,” he told Sky 90.
“Not a pleasant conversation”
Hainer had reported that Kahn had freaked out during the conversation in which he found out about his premature exit. “It was very emotional,” said Hainer. Kahn, in turn, remembers a “calm and factual” conversation. Honorary President Uli Hoeneß, who had conducted the difficult conversation with Kahn together with Hainer, later supported the President’s account. It was “not a pleasant conversation” with Kahn. In the conversation, Kahn verbally shot his successor Jan-Christian Dreesen. In order to avoid a possible escalation, it was suggested to Kahn that, unlike Salihamidžić in Cologne, he would no longer be part of the record champions’ entourage.
Kahn, in turn, had previously de-escalated: “We will sit down – when everything has cooled down – and talk about everything in peace,” said the 53-year-old of the “Bild” newspaper. “Even if the current situation is not easy, for me the many great experiences with FC Bayern far outweigh the negative ones. The irritations of the last few days will not change that.”