FC Bayern Honorary President Uli Hoeneß has shed light on significant disagreements within the club last summer concerning transfer planning. In a podcast interview, Hoeneß revealed there was «real argumentative culture» and «very big disputes» because some individuals still wanted to make substantial purchases of 100 or 150 million euros.
While Hoeneß did not name names, it is widely believed he was referring to Sporting Director Max Eberl. Eberl has reportedly become increasingly controversial internally despite the team’s current sporting success. Reports have even described Eberl’s relationship with Sporting Director Christoph Freund as a «forced marriage.»
Eberl, in particular, is thought to have strongly advocated for expensive external reinforcements last summer, especially for the offense, following the departures of Leroy Sané and Kingsley Coman. However, Hoeneß stated that «the old guard prevailed» because the club decided, «If you want to give the young players a chance, you have to make space. If you had bought two or three more players for 100 to 150 million, the coach would have had to play them, of course.»
Eberl apparently pushed hard for the signing of Xavi Simons to provide additional offensive options and strengthen both the depth and quality of the squad. Hoeneß and others, however, firmly believed in promoting talent from within the club’s own academy instead of making further expensive new signings.
«You Can Have Another Piece of Apple Pie, But You Won’t Get a Xavi»
Hoeneß made this stance clear to coach Vincent Kompany during a personal meeting. Hoeneß recalled a conversation at Tegernsee where Kompany, accompanied by Christoph Freund, insisted, «Uli, we need Xavi, we need him.» Hoeneß responded, «Vincent, you can have another piece of apple pie, but you won’t get a Xavi. We want you to play the young players.» Kompany, according to Hoeneß, implemented this directive to a hundred percent.
Instead of moving to Munich, Xavi Simons was transferred from RB Leipzig to Tottenham Hotspur for 65 million euros at the end of August last year. The 22-year-old has had a disappointing season with Spurs, who are facing potential relegation. With six games remaining, Tottenham sits in 18th place in the Premier League, two points from safety. Simons has only managed four goals and five assists in 39 appearances across all competitions for the London club.
Fostering Own Talents: Kompany Follows Hoeneß’s Demand at FC Bayern
At Bayern, young talent Lennard Carl received significant playing time this season partly because Simons was not signed, and no additional expensive star player was brought in ahead of him. Carl, who is currently out with a muscle fiber tear and recently garnered attention for his outfit at a match against Real Madrid, has been at FC Bayern since 2022 and broke into the first team at the start of the current season. The 18-year-old has scored nine goals and provided seven assists in 35 appearances, even debuting for the German national team in March and has a good chance of participating in the World Cup.
In addition to Aleksandar Pavlovic, Josip Stanišić, and Jamal Musiala, who are all playing key roles for the German record champions and came through the Bayern youth system, Kompany has also integrated other young players. For instance, David Santos Daiber (19), Deniz Ofli (19), Maycon Cardozo (17), Cassiano Kiala (17), and the 16-year-olds Filip Pavic and Erblin Osmani have all made their professional debuts.
By increasingly integrating its own talents, Bayern aims not only for financial savings but also for a greater focus on returning to the club’s intrinsic identity. Whether Eberl will be part of shaping this path in the medium term remains uncertain. While Freund’s continued presence at Bayern seems likely, with him reportedly focusing more on youth development, Eberl’s position could be in jeopardy.
Bayern’s supervisory board, including Hoeneß, former CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, and President Herbert Hainer, will convene for their next meeting at the end of May. According to reports, they will discuss, among other things, whether to extend the contracts of Eberl and Freund, which expire in 2027.