- President says club needs act cautiously
- Believes burning cash can lead to huge debts
- Claims club’s transfer choices are collective decision
Bayern have been criticised for not spending enough in a transfer window for Vincent Kompany and Co. The German club’s primary transfer targets – Florian Wirtz and Nick Woltemade – joined Liverpool and Newcastle respectively after multiple efforts were made to bring them to Allianz Arena. At the centre of this criticism is sporting director Max Eberl, who was reportedly expected to resign, given the limitations to the transfer budget. Board member and honorary president Hoeness dismisses these rumours, claiming Eberl’s commitment was never an issue despite them having controversial discussions.
Critiqued for his missteps in transfer policies, financial management issues, and internal tensions, Eberl still retains official support, as Hoeness believes it was a difficult time for the sporting director given the pressure he was under. The club legend points out that Eberl does get “sensitive” in these matters, but one must understand that overspending can lead to nightmarish situations, providing the example of Barcelona‘s recklessness and overspending behaviour, which eventually resulted in them generating €1.2 billion (£1.04bn/$1.4bn) in debt.
When asked to comment on Eberl’s transfer business, the Bayern chief said on Sport1: “He would have liked to buy a player, but we know our cash position. In the end, that’s just as important as sporting success. Barcelona sends its regards. If you buy, buy, buy… Suddenly you have 1.2 billion euros in debt. See you later.
“Eberl often argued like mad with [board member] Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, but when the door closed behind us, it was okay again, Max is quite sensitive in that regard.”
Clearing the air around Eberl’s resignation rumours, the ex-German international said: “If he thought that way, they’d have to ask him themselves. We [the supervisory board] naturally had controversial discussions, as always, but the Eberl issue was not an issue at all, whether they were parting ways with him or anything like that.
“Eberl was constantly under pressure from outside. And it was always said: ‘He didn’t get him, he didn’t get him’. There is no Eberl transfer, there is no Hoeness transfer, there is no Rummenigge transfer, but an FC Bayern transfer. FC Bayern buys players, not the individual. And if it doesn’t work out, it’s not the individual’s fault, but all of us.”
Even though Bayern missed out on their primary targets, they eventually signed some good players, including Luis Diaz, Nicolas Jackson and Jonathan Tah. However, losing out on their dream deals, coupled with the club’s reserved belief about overspending, speaks volumes about the shift in their standing in the transfer market.
