According to a report from Sport Bild journalists Christian Falk and Tobi Altschäffl (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), Bayern Munich’s decision to hire Vincent Kompany was made by Max Eberl and Christoph Freund.
That much, we knew.
Meanwhile, the old guard of Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß spoke to Hansi Flick and managed to get him to agree to a one-year deal. However, Eberl and Freund felt so strongly about Kompany that they dismissed the Flick option, which likely would have been the safer, less risky hire:
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß spoke to Hansi Flick – the latter told them he would be willing to sign for one year. However, Max Eberl and Christoph Freund insisted on Vincent Kompany until the move was approved by the supervisory board. Eberl had a phone call with Flick on May 11. But then he decided to try to keep Tuchel – and after that fell through, he went all out on Kompany.
Eberl and Freund had decided early on that an overhaul this summer was much needed. The face of the squad should change significantly and old structures should be broken. Tuchel himself had repeatedly suggested that, and even winning the Champions League this season would not have changed that. Flick won the sextuple in 2020 with this team and still has a close relationship with several players – therefore, there were doubts whether he would approve the squad rebuild.
Eberl and Freund took the risk and decided to go into the future with Kompany, a young promising coach who still hasn’t had big success in his managerial career, to lead the squad overhaul together with the new board.
Make no mistake, if Kompany does not work out, this could be the death knell for the tenures of both Eberl and Freund. Falk and Altschäffl detailed why Flick would have given Bayern Munich some flexibility — and how Eberl might have tanked the opportunity with Flick anyway:
Flick would have been the easier solution for Eberl and Freund. He knows the club, wouldn’t have cost a fee and would’ve signed for one season – which would allow the club to try for the likes of Jürgen Klopp, Xabi Alonso or Sebastian Hoeneß when they’re available next year. However, Eberl and Freund decided against that, also because the one-year plan wasn’t certain to work. Flick was irritated that he didn’t hear back from Eberl after their phone call. After Barcelona’s decision to dismiss Xavi, Flick then started speaking to Barça. It was a wish of his to have an experience abroad in any case.
Buckle up Bayern Munich fans…it is going to be quite a season.
The time they are a changin’ at Bayern Munich. Vincent Kompany looks like he is taking over in Bavaria, while the club’s former favorite son — Hansi Flick — is heading to FC Barcelona. Which one will make out better with their new club? We’ll find out, but in the meantime, there could also be some Bayern players who are on Flick’s transfer radar, too. basically, we’ve got a lot to talk about with all of that, plus some appreciation for Bayer Leverkusen’s incredible season. You can check all of that out on the Bavarians Podcast Works Show, which is available on Spotify or below: