The CEO of FC Bayern is heavily criticized for the first time. Is the former “Titan” overwhelmed in his new role?
Oliver Kahn has been CEO of FC Bayern Munich for five months. Now, for the first time, an icy headwind is blowing into his face. The “Bild” asked: “Can’t Kahn get a grip on Bayern?” Bayern member Michael Ott was “stunned” (Read more here) and called the behavior of the club leadership around Kahn and President Herbert Hainer cowardly. At the annual general meeting it had “Board out” calls given. This also and especially meant Kahn.
What happened anyway that made the mood change so quickly? This can be quickly summed up in two points.
Everything started with those who refused to vaccinate
Firstly, the behavior of those who refused to vaccinate Joshua Kimmich, Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Michaël Cuisance has recently massively endangered both team peace and sporting success. Kahn is accused of not taking action at all or – if at all – taking action late, with the club freezing salaries. He also did not position himself clearly enough in public, so the allegation.
Second, Kahn is accused of hiding criticism of the sponsorship contract with Qatar Airways and of forbidding club members to speak at the annual general meeting. The dispute escalated and even led to the event being canceled. Just yesterday, Kahn commented on Twitter. Among other things, he wrote: “With regard to Qatar Airways sponsorship, we will obtain the broadest possible opinion from our members.” Is that enough for the members? And:
Will Oliver Kahn get FC Bayern under control?
Florian Wichert
Deputy Editor in Chief
Pro
Yes, Kahn is doing the only right thing
Does his word have weight like that of his predecessor Rummenigge? Has he appeared as a loudspeaker and plain text writer? Even as a new attack department? The answer: no three times.
And yet the criticism of Oliver Kahn is currently completely exaggerated, even bold. Kahn has only been CEO for five months and is suddenly confronted with two conflicts that have never happened before.
Still, he has already solved one. After the five stubborn vaccination refusers endangered the success and peace of the team, Kahn frozen their salaries in quarantine. Gnabry and Musiala were then vaccinated, Kimmich wanted to follow suit – then became infected with Corona just like Choupo-Moting. Once the infection has subsided, both are considered to have recovered and have thus achieved 2G status. Hook on it.
Also in the conflict over the sponsorship of Qatar Airways, Kahn has now announced a step in the direction of the members, wants to obtain a comprehensive opinion and will incorporate this into the decision on a contract extension. Here, too, there is a hook.
Kahn is currently doing the only right thing: He is leading FC Bayern through the Corona crisis, making it sustainable and getting it under control. In a personable, unexcited way and without public fanfare. You don’t even know that at Bayern anymore.
Contra
No, because Kahn makes rookie mistakes
One of the most important tasks for Oliver Kahn as CEO of FC Bayern is to bring calm to the club. But he doesn’t succeed. Kahn makes way too many rookie mistakes. Even if it does not come as a surprise, he has never been President, CEO or Managing Director before. He lacks experience. Two examples:
The anger about the unvaccinated Bayern players overwhelmed him – he reacted too late to it. The same applies to the Qatar Airways criticism.
The annual general meeting would have been the right place to talk to fans about it. Instead, he disregarded the members. He didn’t even use the word Qatar during his half-hour presentation. And then he looked completely taken by surprise by the resistance of the members – how can that be? A few days later he gave in and offered to talk to him via Twitter. That is not the management style that FC Bayern needs.
Kahn was a world-class goalkeeper and is an intelligent man who is sure to deliver top management as well. For the board post at the record champions, however, it takes more – namely experience and an honest bond with your own supporters. If he continues as before, FC Bayern threatens to slip away from him. And that would be a disaster.
Who is right?
Im “Duel of the week“Every week Florian Wichert (Deputy Editor-in-Chief at t-online) and Robert Hiersemann (Head of Football and Sport) comment on current football topics.
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