Uli Hoeneß has revealed an internal rift within Bayern Munich's leadership over the contract extension of sporting director Max Eberl. The honorary president triggered the conflict himself with a public assessment, which he explained on Monday evening at a basketball anniversary event in Munich.
The Percentage Comment
On May 23, the day of the DFB-Pokal final against Stuttgart, Hoeneß said on a SPIEGEL podcast that the chances of Eberl's contract being extended were "60 to 40". This estimate caused discontent. "If I had said 80 percent that day, there would have been even more trouble," the 74-year-old explained. "That's why it was an answer between a rock and a hard place." Max Eberl reacted cautiously at the time. He stated that while his skin had grown thick, he did not think it was the right moment on a final day. He questioned whether such percentages had to be given in public.
Clearance and Consequence
After the final, Hoeneß and Eberl addressed the issue directly and cleared it up in a private conversation. Since then, much has changed. "I think Max has opened up more within the club in the last six months," said Hoeneß. "All of us, Karl-Heinz and I, but also Herbert Hainer, have been much better informed by him about everything than was the case before." Eberl has shed his initial "loner existence". This development and his transfer work were rewarded: the supervisory board approved an extension until summer 2029 on August 25.
Praise for the Transfer Window
Hoeneß particularly highlighted Eberl's implementation of the club's internal transfer strategy. The suggestion to sign players as early as possible before the World Cup to avoid later price increases was implemented "100 percent". The given budget of up to 50 million euros was significantly undercut. "I think we only invested 30 million, because almost 70 million came in from sales," Hoeneß said. "So good work was done there." This balance sheet ultimately convinced the last doubters on the supervisory board.
The current sporting situation shows the team has found its way back to winning ways after the international break. On the last matchday, Bayern won at SV Elversberg, having previously won the home game against Bodo/Glimt. The team has conceded only a few goals in its recent minutes of play, pointing to a more solid defense. The squad is now preparing for the next task, while the leadership acts united again after the open discussion. A full overview of recent results and upcoming fixtures can be found on our fixtures page. The detailed performance record for the entire season is available in our stats overview.
The original report is at Bild
