Bundesliga
FC Bayern confirms the separation of Kahn and Salihamidzic
FC Bayern separates from Hasan Salihamidzic (centre) and Oliver Kahn (r). Chief Financial Officer Jan-Christian Dreesen (l) is to follow Kahn. photo
© Tom Weller/dpa
Despite the next championship, FC Bayern is taking personal action after a troubled season. Board boss and sports director have to go. Jan-Christian Dreesen will be the new top boss.
Despite winning the championship title again, FC Bayern Munich is taking personal action after an extremely troubled and unsatisfactory season.
CEO Oliver Kahn (53) and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic (46) are released from their duties at the German record champions. Club President Herbert Hainer confirmed reports from “Kicker” and “Bild” after Bayern Munich’s 2-1 win in Cologne.
“It was incredibly important for us to only announce that after the game because we always said we wanted to concentrate 100 percent on the sport,” said Hainer after the win, which secured Bayern’s eleventh championship in a row. “As you can see, it worked. We have now told the team.”
press conference announced
The decision had already been made on Friday by the Supervisory Board around Honorary President Uli Hoeneß. On Sunday, a press conference (11.30 a.m.) will provide information about the background. Kahn’s successor will be Jan-Christian Dreesen (55). The chief financial officer was supposed to leave the club in the fall. On Saturday he presented the team with the championship trophy in his capacity as a member of the DFL presidium.
Kahn was absent from the Cologne stadium, club circles cited flu as the reason. In the evening he tweeted: “I’m incredibly proud of you and this achievement! I would like to celebrate with you, but unfortunately I can’t be with you today because the club has forbidden me. I’m looking forward to next season. There we won’t just be German champions for the 12th time! Let’s celebrate!”
In a press release, the head of the supervisory board, Hainer, commented on Kahn: “The decision to separate from Oliver Kahn was anything but easy for the supervisory board. Nevertheless, due to the overall development, we have come to the decision to make a new appointment at the top of the management board. ” Kahn will “always remain a big personality at FC Bayern”.
Troubled Season
FC Bayern has had a very troubled season in which the most expensive squad failed to achieve any sporting successes. Timing, handling and communication of the change of coach from Julian Nagelsmann to Thomas Tuchel, which took place two months ago, caused internal and external debates. Kahn and Salihamidzic did not give a good picture. Tuchel had only warned on Friday that the club premises on Säbener Straße in Munich had to become a “resting place” for the team again.
The former national goalkeeper and Bayern captain Kahn returned to FC Bayern in early 2020. He became a board member on a five-year contract. Two years ago, he replaced the longstanding CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Salihamidzic was also a successful Bayern professional. In 2017 he surprisingly became sports director, three years later he was promoted to sports director.