Sport RB Leipzig
Surprising Eberl expulsion – “We have always worked like this”
Status: 30.09.2023 | Reading time: 3 minutes
No longer a team: Max Eberl (r.), most recently sports director of RB Leipzig, and Oliver Mintzlaff, managing director of Red Bull GmbH
Source: dpa/Tom Weller
RB Leipzig’s separation from sports director Max Eberl surprised many. Now Red Bull boss Oliver Mintzlaff speaks out. And Lothar Matthäus is sure which position in German football Eberl will now take on.
Max Eberl and his abrupt end at RB Leipzig – it is the top topic of this Bundesliga weekend. Before the kick-off of the Saxons’ top game against FC Bayern on Saturday evening, record national player Lothar Matthäus said as a Sky expert about the club’s separation from the sports director on Friday afternoon: “An unfavorable time. Max Eberl somehow didn’t feel well. RB noticed that he didn’t bring what they expected. I think they parted quite peacefully.”
The former world-class player believes that even if Eberl had made a clearer commitment to RB, there would probably not have been a long-term collaboration.
Max Eberl is now considered the top candidate for the position of sports director at FC Bayern
Quelle: dpa/Jan Woitas
In a statement, the club cited Eberl’s “lack of commitment” to the club as the reason for the separation. Eberl is repeatedly linked to FC Bayern and, from the perspective of the RB management, had not clearly distanced himself from the rumors after a report in “Sportbild” on the subject during the week.
The 62-year-old Matthäus continued: “Max didn’t feel 100 percent comfortable. Both sides noticed that it wasn’t working the way they imagined it would a year ago.” The consequence of the RB leadership is understandable.
“There is a lack of commitment”
Shortly before the game in Leipzig, Oliver Mintzlaff also commented. The 48-year-old managing director of Red Bull and chairman of the supervisory board of Rasenballsport said on Sky: “It couldn’t be saved. That’s why we acted so consistently. There’s a lack of commitment to the club and the city.”
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He also said: “It is a process that started a little earlier, in April, May. When rumors started. We and I fought for him for a long time and would have liked to have a long journey with him. Of course, that makes it all the sadder.”
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Mintzlaff continued: “It was a hard decision. The conviction that Max was a good fit for us was extremely strong. It’s disappointing that we all came to such a misjudgment.”
At the controversial point in time of the separation, just before the big game, Mintzlaff said: “We have always worked like this: once we have made a decision, then we will go through with it.” There was no contact with FC Bayern from the RB side. “That’s not our issue either,” said Mintzlaff. He emphasized that Eberl had brought good players to Leipzig.
Rose: “I think it’s a shame”
RB coach Marco Rose said shortly before kick-off in an interview with the pay-TV channel: “I was also surprised by the announcement on Friday. I cannot evaluate the process and development that led to this. I think it’s a shame, but I also had to quickly focus on my team and the game again.”
Uli Hoeneß, honorary president of FC Bayern, has known Eberl for a long time and appreciates him. Eberl is now considered the top candidate for the vacant position of sports director at the German soccer record champions. “I am convinced that Max will end up at FC Bayern at some point,” said Matthäus. Eberl will then occupy a very important position, said the world champion.
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