Robert Lewandowski (33) really wants to get away from it FC Bayern. But the record champions don’t let themselves be fooled. Now comes the next Bayern Basta!
President Herbert Hainer (67) speaks a word of power in the BamS interview.
BILD am SONNTAG: Mr. Hainer, yours FC Bayern has become champion. However, other goals for the season were not achieved. With some distance: Are you satisfied with the season?
Herbert Hainer (67): Overall it was a good season. Champion ten times in a row, no other club in one of the five top European leagues has managed that, that’s historic. But I don’t want to hide the fact that we are also disappointed with our performance in the Champions League (loss in the quarterfinals against Villarreal; ed.) and the early elimination in the DFB Cup against Borussia Mönchengladbach (0:5 in the second round; ed . Ed.) were.
BILD am SONNTAG: BILD columnist Alfred Draxler gave the Bayern season a grade of 4. Would you sign that?
Hainer: No, I would give her a 2 minus. In addition to the sporting performance, we have come through the pandemic very well economically, have not made a loss in the first two years of Corona and will probably also finish the third year well.
BILD am SONNTAG: Could you imagine that? Champions-League-Finale between Real Madrid and Liverpool?
Hainer: I’m a football fan through and through, of course I watched the game, even if it hurt a bit. Congratulations to Real Madrid. But Liverpool was also a well-deserved finalist.
BILD am SONNTAG: Julian Nagelsmann has completed his first season as a Bayern coach. How do you rate his work?
Hainer: Overall very, very good. He is fresh, innovative, creative, brings momentum into the booth and learns incredibly quickly. But I also like how he acts as a guy. He is very communicative, which is good for the club. We hired him for five years to develop something with us and you can already see the first fruits of his labor.
BILD am SONNTAG: And what do you say about Oliver Kahn’s first year as CEO?
Hainer: Although Oliver had been there a year earlier, as CEO you sit in the front row as the person responsible. He is working on FC Bayern’s strategy for the future and is initiating many things. I know from personal experience what a challenge being CEO is.
BILD am SONNTAG: Sport director Hasan Salihamidzic often had to take the blame, especially with transfers.
Hainer: Overall, Hasan is doing a very good job. All the titles that we have won in recent years, six in 2020 alone, he also won them, he put the team together. What impresses me is his heart and passion for FC Bayern. You shouldn’t forget that we have now signed important players like Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich, Kingsley Coman, Jamal Musiala, Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer. That’s his job too. And a few years ago he set up a new concept for our Bayern campus. It’s our goal to bring more players from our own youth to the front again in order to escape this transfer madness a bit. And with Jamal Musiala, Josip Stanisic, Paul Wanner and Gabriel Vidovic we have young players among the professionals who are developing very well. This is also thanks to Hasan.
BILD am SONNTAG: Transfer madness is a good keyword: Robert Lewandowski is flirting with a change. Oliver Kahn said: “Basta, he stays!” Lewandowski countered and declared the Bayern chapter to be over. Who is right?
Hainer: We have always said that Robert Lewandowski has a contract with FC Bayern until June 30, 2023. And a contract is a contract! Where are we going if a player can end a contract early while we as a club would have to pay him in full up to the last day of the term? That’s an inequality, it can’t be like that. I’m a bit surprised that Robert chose to go public, I wouldn’t have done it if I were him. He has been with FC Bayern for a long time, has won many titles with us: the Champions League, eight times German champion, he has twice become world footballer as a Bayern player. I think he knows very well what he has at Bayern, namely a club that treats its players very well, that does everything to enable them to perform at their best. And I have to say: Appreciation is not a one-way street!
BILD am SONNTAG: After all the incidents, is it still possible to start the new season with him, or is there too much left?
Hainer: I’m afraid not. Robert is a full professional, he wants to play football.
BILD am SONNTAG: FC Barcelona is said to have offered 32 million euros. Can FC Bayern really allow themselves to keep Lewandowski for a year at will and then let him go on a free transfer?
Hainer: We are in the fortunate position of not having any economic hardships. We want to have the best players and Robert is one of the best. That’s why I’m firmly assuming that he’ll play for us again next season.
BILD am SONNTAG: So also a “basta” from you?
Hainer: I can only support Oliver Kahn there.
BILD am SONNTAG: Lewandowski’s advisor Pini Zahavi said Bayern’s flirtation with Erling Halaand is said to have ruined a lot, so Lewandowski was “lost as a person” to the club.
Hainer: Both Mr. Zahavi and Robert know the processes in professional football well enough.
BILD am SONNTAG: People always like to talk about “appreciation”. But isn’t it basically just about the money?
Hainer: no FC Bayern has many players who are not only at FC Bayern because they are well paid here, but because they love the club and see what a good job is being done here. And they know that they can win titles here – and that’s what footballers ultimately want.
BILD am SONNTAG: Serge Gnabry, whose contract also expires in 2023, has not yet been extended, although FC Bayern is said to have made an offer of up to 19 million euros in salary.
Hainer: We’ve been in talks with Serge for a long time, but unfortunately there hasn’t been an agreement yet. There are a few different ideas. We’re working on that.
BILD am SONNTAG: Can FC Bayern afford to let another player in this category go free of charge after Boateng and Alaba and then apparently also in the summer of 2023 Lewandowski with Gnabry?
Hainer: That’s nothing out of the ordinary these days. We just got a player from Ajax Amsterdam (Noussair Mazraoui; ed.) on a free transfer. Rest assured that next season we will continue to put together a squad that will allow us to aim for all the titles.
BILD am SONNTAG: Sadio Mané from Liverpool should come to Munich.
Hainer: You will understand that I will not say anything about players who are signed by other clubs.
BILD am SONNTAG: Do Bayern have the chance to compete for players of this size?
Hainer: FC Bayern always raised the necessary funds if they wanted a player. If we really want a player, we’re able to get him. But he has to suit us.