Bundesliga Leipzig manager
Will Eberl move to FC Bayern in the spring?
As of: 7:04 p.m. | Reading time: 5 minutes
By Robert Schreier, Christian Falk, Tobias Altschäffl
Max Eberl has been managing director of sports at RB Leipzig since December 2022. He is not considered irreplaceable
Quelle: dpa/Jan Woitas
Max Eberl has been manager of RasenBallsport Leipzig since 2022. Although he has put together a successful squad, he is not considered irreplaceable. FC Bayern’s interest in Eberl is great, so the move could take place soon.
The encounter with his past was ugly. On Saturday, Max Eberl (50), manager of RB Leipzig, was not invited to lunch by his former club Borussia Mönchengladbach; the fans insulted him with a pig poster. As the game plan would have it, the meeting with Eberl’s future is now coming up. Leipzig welcomes FC Bayern. And it seems only a matter of time before Eberl fulfills his dream of an important position with the record champions.
It is an open secret in the Bundesliga that two close friends in particular are working on this vision: Bayern’s honorary president Uli Hoeneß (71) and Eberl himself.
Eberl played for FC Bayern in his youth and then played one Bundesliga game for the professionals before moving to Bochum
Quelle: picture alliance/Sven Simon/SVEN SIMON
Bayern have just installed a new sports director, Christoph Freund (46). But there would still be a position available at the level above the former Salzburg maker. Eberl has been considered Hoeneß’s preferred candidate for years. At the end of August he said in the “Welt” when asked whether and when the vacant position would be filled: “We will devote ourselves to this topic in due course. We don’t feel any pressure.”
So far, the timing between Bayern and Eberl has never been right. Either the manager at Gladbach couldn’t get away with it, or the Bayern jobs were well filled. But now Bayern are repositioning themselves – and also have to adapt to a new situation in European football. The German record champions will also have to find and convince top talent in the next few years. Transfers of ready-made superstars like Harry Kane (30) will remain the exception.
Eberl recommends himself to Bayern with top transfers
Sports director Freund fits the pattern. But Eberl has also made a name for itself over the years with such purchases. With the recent transfer period, Eberl has reportedly recommended himself to Bayern even more. He snatched Xavi Simons (20/on loan from PSG) from under Dortmund’s nose. He convinced Loïs Openda (23/from Lens) so much that the Belgian skipped Milan, Arsenal and Juventus.
Xavi Simons made an immediate impact in Leipzig and is proving to be an absolute top transfer
Quelle: dpa/Jan Woitas
Eberl also impressed Bayern because he would put his heart and soul into Munich. After his time out, Eberl said he could only imagine a managerial comeback at three clubs: Leipzig, Arsenal – and Bayern, which the native of Lower Bavaria has adored since his childhood. The connection to Munich is already great. Eberl has an apartment in the English Garden where he spends a lot of time. His partner also lives in Munich.
And that is exactly what gives Leipzig the impression that Eberl has never really arrived at RB since he took office in December 2022. He is rarely seen in the club center on Cottaweg. He has a cold relationship with supervisory board member Oliver Mintzlaff (48).
Leipzig’s manager Eberl (l.) and Red Bull boss Mintzlaff – they are not best friends
Source: dpa/Tom Weller
On the one hand, because, in Eberl’s understanding, the ex-RB boss is too meticulous in his duty as a monitor. The high transfer fees (well over 150 million euros) this summer were particularly questioned internally. On the other hand, owner Red Bull is expecting a clear commitment internally from Eberl to Leipzig since the Bayern rumors arose. Since the double dismissal of CEO Oliver Kahn (54) and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic (46) in May. According to reports, this has not happened so far. Internally, Eberl has probably only denied any contact with Bayern that has the goal of the move. Otherwise, Eberl will leave the rumors alone.
Eberl is not considered irreplaceable in Leipzig
Eberl also did not want to comment on inquiries from SPORT BILD regarding mutual interest, only saying: “I am under contract with RB Leipzig. But it’s not about me, it’s about the top game in the Bundesliga, RB Leipzig against Bayern Munich. We have put together a really exciting squad, have started the season well and want to confirm our previous performances against Bayern on Saturday and beat them at home.”
But how realistic would a move from Eberl to Bayern be if both were serious? Very realistic! It is just as likely that Hoeneß would get the Bayern committees behind him as a commitment from Eberl. And a strict no from Leipzig is not to be expected either. RB currently has no intention of changing anything about the current constellation. But our time together doesn’t really go smoothly either. Eberl is also not considered irreplaceable.
Rouven Schröder (l.) could rise in the hierarchy at RasenBallsport and become Eberl’s successor
Quelle: picture alliance/Picture Point/R.Petzsche
He could have pushed his successor through in Leipzig himself. Sports director Rouven Schröder (47) sits in a position that should never exist and that Eberlaber had pushed for. If the worst comes to the worst, Schröder is expected to be promoted to the sporting director in Leipzig. Especially since the club, with a strong scouting department and the help of the Red Bull football division around Mario Gomez (38), would be well positioned even without Eberl.
Eberl cost a transfer fee of 2.5 million euros
It should be clear that RB would insist on a transfer fee for Eberl. According to information from SPORT BILD, RB immediately transferred a transfer fee of 2.5 million euros to Gladbach for the manager. Thanks to the cup victory and qualification for the Champions League, the amount has now risen to an estimated four million euros. If there are further successes, the sum can grow to up to seven million euros.
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So it’s quite possible that the change will take place during the transfer period next spring – if everyone involved wants to endure the limbo for that long…
The article was written for the Sports Competence Center (WELT, SPORT BILD, BILD) and first published in SPORT BILD.
