Despite the championship
FC Bayern fires Kahn and Salihamidzic – and bans Kahn from attending the championship celebrations
Hasan Salihamidzic and Oliver Kahn have to go, various media report. Jan-Christian Dreesen (l.) will be Kahn’s successor as CEO.
© Tom Weller / DPA
Tough personnel decisions at FC Bayern: Despite winning the championship, the record champions have released board boss Oliver Kahn and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic from their duties. According to his own statement, Kahn was forbidden to take part in the championship celebration.
Despite winning the championship title again, FC Bayern Munich is taking personal action after an extremely troubled and unsatisfactory season. CEO Oliver Kahn and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic are released from their duties at the German record champions. This was reported on Saturday after Bayern Munich’s 2-1 win in Cologne, first in “Kicker” and “Bild”. Club President Herbert Hainer later confirmed the report.
Kahn made a statement on Twitter. “I’m incredibly proud of you and this achievement! I would like to celebrate with you,” wrote the 53-year-old on Saturday evening. “But unfortunately I can’t be with you today because the club has forbidden me. I’m looking forward to next season. We won’t just be German champions for the 12th time! Let’s celebrate!” Kahn later made a statement to Sky. “That was the worst day of my life, taking it from me to celebrate with the boys,” Kahn told the TV station.
Originally, future decisions were only expected at the Supervisory Board meeting, which was postponed to next Tuesday. However, there is said to have been an extraordinary meeting of the committee around Honorary President Uli Hoeneß beforehand. Jan-Christian Dreesen is to succeed Kahn. The chief financial officer should actually leave the club shortly. The fact that Kahn was missing was officially justified with a flu.
Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic did not give a good picture
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.
Stunning title finish
In contrast to Kahn, Salihamidzic experienced the furious season finale live in the Cologne stadium. The Noch sports director saw a memorable and breathtaking game, which FC Bayern Munich won in the 89th minute thanks to Jamal Musiala. At the end of an overall messed-up season, Bayern trembled after an actually less than masterly performance to a 2-1 win at 1. FC Köln and benefited from rival Borussia Dortmund’s 2-2 win against Mainz 05. Bayern only managed to win their 33rd championship title third time after 1986 and 2000, although they did not go into the final round as leaders.
After Kingsley Coman took the lead (8′), Dejan Ljubicic’s hand penalty (81′) seemed to snatch the title away from Bayern, then Musiala, who had been on the bench four minutes earlier, scored (89′). Thus, coach Thomas Tuchel, who was hired in March, won his first German championship title after being eliminated from the Champions League and the DFB Cup.