DAccording to club president Herbert Hainer, the separation of CEO Oliver Kahn from FC Bayern did not take place “amicably”. “It was very emotional, and at the end of the day we couldn’t come to an agreement with Oliver,” said Hainer on Sunday in Munich about the decisive conversation with Kahn last Thursday. Then on Friday evening the supervisory board of the record champions met “and decided to dismiss Oliver Kahn”.
Kahn contradicted media reports shortly before on Sunday, according to which he is said to have received the news of his forced departure with great emotion. “The claim that I freaked out when I was informed about the dismissal is definitely not true,” Kahn wrote on Twitter. He had “a calm and factual conversation” with Hainer on the phone and was “only surprised at this activism, why this decision was brought forward”.
Bayern announced the separation from 53-year-old CEO Kahn and sports director Hasan Salihamidžić (46) immediately after winning the title 2-1 at 1. FC Köln. Kahn was not at the game and not at the championship celebration. Hainer justified this with the process on Thursday and Friday. “We want to do everything so that he can stay in the FC Bayern family,” said Hainer. “There is absolutely no question that we treat Oliver with respect, but both sides are part of it.” Salihamidžić’s separation was easier.
“Life planning was different”
“On Saturday morning I got the message that I can’t go to the game. I accepted this decision calmly,” Kahn wrote on Sunday. “Of course I’m disappointed, but I’m really happy about this championship and I’m happy for the team, coach and our fans.” Originally, the supervisory board meeting of the record champions with personnel decisions was only planned for Tuesday.
Kahn’s successor Jan-Christian Dreesen will initially receive a two-year contract as CEO at Bayern Munich. “Both sides were very happy with it,” said Munich club president Hainer on Sunday. Dreesen assured him that the term was “not really important”. The previous CFO actually wanted to retire at the end of the season. “Certainly my life planning was different,” admitted the 55-year-old.
After the abrupt separation from Kahn shortly before the season finale, the Bayern leadership around the chairman of the supervisory board Hainer offered Dreesen the office. He couldn’t have missed this opportunity, said Dreesen. “If you’re still offered that as a native East Frisian, then I didn’t have to think about it that long,” he added.
Previously, Dreesen had also been traded as the new managing director of the German Football League. He said he had “really good talks” with DFL supervisory board chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke in the past few days. But when he was asked by Bayern Munich, “this decision was easier for him than I thought it would be”.
After internal criticism of Kahn’s administration, Dreesen announced that he was in favor of a stronger “for each other and with each other” in the club. This has recently come up short. “If people enjoy their work, if you trust each other, then you are much more successful,” said the new Bayern CEO. This applies to both the team and the employees of the record champions. He also wants to try harder to get closer to the fans. This is of great value to him and he also enjoys it. In terms of sport, Dreesen formulated a well-known goal for the Bundesliga: “We want to be number one and Dortmund should be number two.”
