Bayern Munich has appointed Max Eberl as its effective sporting director with a contract until June 2027.
Eberl will start work on Friday and joins at a tumultuous time, with the club needing to replace outgoing manager Thomas Tuchel this summer.
The former RB Leipzig player will take on the title of “board member for sport” and will help form a reduced management team of three members.
He was officially presented on Tuesday at the Allianz Arena and posed with other important figures of the club.
It could be seen as a blow to Liverpool, who reportedly approached him in October to succeed Jorg Schmadtke, although reports of his interest have died down. Schmadtke left Liverpool after the January transfer window.
Eberl said: “I spent my entire childhood and youth at FC Bayern and in Munich, so it is something special for me to return in a new role to the club where it all started.”
Bayern Munich has appointed Max Eberl as new sporting director and he will start on Friday
Eberl was previously sporting director of Borussia Mönchengladbach and RB Leipzig.
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‘The work as a member of the Sports Board of Directors is a great challenge, which I will approach with great respect and humility, but with even more anticipation.
“Together with everyone present, I want to do everything possible to ensure that FC Bayern continues to be successful in the future and bring joy to its fans.”
His appointment concludes a nine-month process after his predecessor, Hasan Salihamidzic, was fired last May.
Salihamidzic and chief executive Oliver Kahn were fired just hours after Bayern clinched its 11th consecutive Bundesliga title last season.
All this changes in the management of Bayern, which from July will operate with only three members of the board of directors after the departure of Andreas Jung.
Eberl will work alongside the CEO, currently Jan-Christian Dreesen, and the Chief Financial and Sales Officer (currently Michael Diederich).
Herbert Hainer, chairman of Bayern’s supervisory board, said: “We have decided to have three seats on the executive board to be faster, more effective and also more capable of acting.”
Radical changes at the top of the organization are being made to try to revive a withering team that is on the verge of losing its dominance of the Bundesliga.
The Bavarian powerhouses, surpassed by the brilliant Xabi Alonso, are eight points behind Bayer Leverkusen in the title race.
They are also on the verge of misery in the Champions League after losing 1-0 to Lazio in Rome earlier this month, with the second leg being played on March 5.
Their main task will be to recruit a replacement for Thomas Tuchel, who will leave in the summer.
Bayern fired previous sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic in May and have not replaced him so far
Liverpool had reportedly approached him to replace Jorg Schmadtke, who left after the January transfer window.
Eberl has a strong reputation in Germany for identifying talent and closing deals, vital skills if Bayern are to rebuild.
He worked as Borussia Mönchengladbach’s sporting director from 2008 to 2022 and then spent eight months at RB Leipzig, but was fired in September for “not committing to the club.”
This supposed lack of commitment was related to his relationship with Bayern.
Throughout his career, he signed players such as Marco Reus and Granit Xhaka for Gladbach before selling them.
He also brought Lois Openda to Leipzig and oversaw the huge sales of Josko Gvardiol, Dominik Szoboszlai and Christopher Nkunku in the summer.
Eberl posed with Herbert Hainer (left), Jan-Christian Dreesen and Michael Diederich (right) at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.
Commenting on his appointment, Bayern said: “We are delighted to have appointed Max Eberl as our new member of the Board of Directors for Sport.
“Not only does he have decades of experience in football management, but he also started playing for FC Bayern and turned professional here. We are convinced that he will successfully shape and characterize the future of this club.”