Hoeneß says Eberl’s Bayern position now ‘100%’ safe after ‘naive’ interview and transfer-window success

Uli Hoeneß has moved to fully endorse Max Eberl’s future at Bayern Munich, admitting he made a “naive” error with earlier comments about the sporting director’s job security and revealing he has apologised to him in person.

The Bayern honorary president had publicly put Eberl’s chances of remaining in post at “60 to 40” before the DFB-Pokal final against Stuttgart, despite the 50-year-old having a contract until the summer of 2027. Those remarks were widely interpreted in Germany as casting doubt over Eberl’s long-term role at the club.

Speaking to German broadcaster SPORT1 on Thursday, Hoeneß said he had been unhappy with himself for the way the episode unfolded and stressed his view of Eberl’s position had changed.

Asked what probability he would now give Eberl staying on as Bayern’s sporting director, Hoeneß replied: “At the moment, I think it’s 100%.”

‘I was very angry with myself’

Hoeneß explained that the controversy stemmed from the timing of an interview he gave to German magazine Der Spiegel, which was released on the morning of the cup final.

He said he had not expected his comments to appear so close to the match against Stuttgart.

“First of all, I have to say that I was very angry with myself,” Hoeneß admitted. He said he had assumed the interview would only be published a week later, describing that assumption as “naive”.

He added: “Obviously they liked my statements a lot, because they were published on Saturday morning. As a result, I didn’t treat Max properly before the cup match, and I apologised to him as well.”

Hoeneß’s admission and apology are significant in the context of Bayern’s internal politics, where his views still carry considerable weight despite his honorary status.

Praise for Eberl and Freund over transfer business

Hoeneß made clear that one of the main reasons for his current satisfaction with Eberl is Bayern’s work in the transfer market for the second consecutive summer.

He highlighted the business led by Eberl alongside fellow sporting director Christoph Freund, picking out the signings of Nathanael Brown and Ismail Saibari as examples of effective squad planning.

According to Hoeneß, Bayern’s hierarchy believed both players were exactly the type of additions the team required, and the club’s supervisory board approved the deals “with great pleasure”.

Hoeneß said Morocco international Saibari had particularly caught his eye during the World Cup, which significantly raised his interest in bringing the player to Munich.

Brown, signed from Eintracht Frankfurt, was described by Hoeneß as a “tremendous talent”. He added that the highly rated youngster had options to move to the Premier League but was never tempted to go to England.

“He had offers from England, but he never thought about them,” Hoeneß said. “He was very keen to move to Bayern Munich. I love players like that.”

Financial returns from player sales

Hoeneß also welcomed the income generated by Bayern from outgoing transfers this summer.

He singled out the sales of Noel Aseko, Daniel Peretz, Alexander Nubel and Jona Kusi-Asare as important deals in strengthening the club’s financial position.

The combination of targeted signings and profitable departures has strengthened Hoeneß’s belief that Bayern are on the right path in terms of squad building, and underpins his assertion that Eberl’s place at the club is now “100%” secure.