Bayern sacks Salihamidzic, Kahn, shops for sporting director

 

MUNICH – Bayern Munich plan to find a new sporting director to replace dismissed Hasan Salihamidzic at least until Christmas, according to honorary president Uli Hoeneß.

Bayern announced they were parting ways with Salihamidzic and CEO Oliver Kahn shortly after they sealed their 11th consecutive Bundesliga title on Saturday with a dramatic 2-1 win at Cologne and after Borussia Dortmund were held to a 2-2 draw by Mainz.

“We would have acted this way even if we had won three titles, the decision had to be made this way. (New CEO) Jan-Christian Dreesen knows the club inside out, a new man would have had to spend another six months learning the job,” Hoeneß told the Kicker magazine on Monday.

While the team looks for a new sporting director, former CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who was replaced by Kahn in 2021, is to return to the supervisory board and help with the squad planning for the upcoming season.

Hoeneß said it was a mistake to appoint Kahn as CEO. “The big disappointment is that I thought he could fulfil the job with his personality alone, but, instead he surrounded himself with his advisors,” who created a “catastrophically bad atmosphere,” he said.

President Herbert Hainer said the club couldn’t part ways with Kahn “amicably” and therefore he was not allowed to travel with the team to Cologne on Saturday.

Hoeneß supported Hainer’s version of the meeting with the former goalkeeper, saying that the conversation to inform him of his dismissal “wasn’t a pleasant one” and that Kahn verbally attacked his successor Dreesen.

Hoeneß, however, stressed: “I have great respect for the person, as a player he has achieved a lot. Even if he didn’t live up to expectations as CEO, my door is always open for Oliver.”