Christoph Freund is the new sports director of FC Bayern Munich, the club announced on Wednesday afternoon. Freund, currently still under contract with RB Salzburg, will begin his new role in Munich after the summer transfer period. “We are convinced that he is the right person to continue to strengthen the team together with the coaching team around Thomas Tuchel and technical director Marco Neppe,” said Jan-Christian Dreesen, FC Bayern CEO, on the club’s website . This should also end speculation about a farewell to Neppe for the time being.
“It has been mutually agreed with FC Red Bull Salzburg, where Christoph Freund has done an excellent job, that he will fully manage the current transfer period with his long-term employer and will not join us until the beginning of September,” Dreesen continued.
Friend with a lot of transfer skills
Freund is said to have a good hand with transfers. Dayot Upamecano, Amadou Haidara, Dominik Szoboszlai and of course Erling Haaland – Freund was responsible for all these transfers in Salzburg. At RB, these young players took their first steps in professional football before being sold for a profit – albeit often to the well-meaning RB Leipzig. But the youth department also produced talent again and again – including Konrad Laimer, whom Freund will now meet again in Munich.
“It’s important to me that a club has an identity, and FC Bayern definitely stands for that.” Christoph Freund, new sports director FC Bayern Munich
Successor to Ralf Rangnick
Under Freund, Salzburg won the Austrian Bundesliga every year, established itself in the Champions League and achieved high transfer revenues season after season. Freund played football actively himself, but did not make it past the second-highest cash register in Austria. After his career, his career began at RB Salzburg. There he became team manager in 2006, rose to sports coordinator in 2012 before succeeding Ralf Rangnick as sports director in 2015.
After the departure of Hasan Salihamidzic and Oliver Kahn, FC Bayern wanted to take its time to present a new sporting director. It should be a big solution, announced President Herbert Hainer and so there were rumors about Max Eberl and Markus Krösche as possible Brazzo successors.
Chelsea tried to poach Freund
Now it’s going to be Freund, who has only worked in Salzburg up to now, but has repeatedly attracted the interest of other clubs. But neither RB Leipzig nor Chelsea FC were able to convince Freund to leave Salzburg in 2022. Also because Freund is reluctant to leave his home town of Salzburg. At least it’s not too far from Munich.
“After the talks with those responsible at FC Bayern, it was clear to me that I wanted to take on this new challenge. I’m really looking forward to doing everything I can with full energy and passion from September 1st to ensure that this club also in the future remains so successful in sport, continues to play at the top international level and inspires his fans with attractive football,” Freund is quoted as saying.
However, Freund will only deal with the current transfer poker around Harry Kane from afar. Freund is not scheduled to start his duties in Munich until September 1, when the transfer window has already closed. A task force made up of coach Thomas Tuchel, squad planner Marco Neppe and CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen is currently responsible for buying and selling players at FC Bayern.