The shockwaves are still rippling through the Bayern Munich faithful. Barely a moment had passed since their dramatic, last-gasp confirmation of an eleventh straight Bundesliga title when the news landed that CEO Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidžić were the latest to get the axe.
It’s been a topsy-turvy season, and the duo, who only two months ago were explaining the club’s surprise sacking of manager Julian Nagelsmann — and have been re-explaining ever since — were ultimately sent to walk the plank, even as their team commenced celebrations.
When the news made its way to the squad, it was another case of players finding out the fates of their bosses through the media. Thomas Müller expressed surprise, Thomas Tuchel stayed diplomatic. Meanwhile Jamal Musiala, the 20-year-old wunderkind for whose fizzing moment of late magic the Bavarians have to thank for the title, paid tribute.
“Brazzo brought me to Bayern. I’m very grateful to him for everything and I think it’s a pity he’s leaving,” the ex-Chelsea academy talent said after the game (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
Musiala will stand as perhaps the biggest success of Brazzo’s tenure. Back in the summer of 2019, the youngster made the move from Chelsea aged only sixteen. In the time since, he’s risen to be Thomas Müller’s heir apparent while also becoming an indispensable player in his own right for club and country. The Bayern move undoubtedly played a huge role in sealing his national team allegiances, too — Musiala opted for Germany over England in May of 2021 ahead of that summer’s EURO.
The 20-year-old’s star is burning brighter than ever. But as Fabrizio Romano noted, Bayern were already ready to discuss a new deal with him — and now that process might need to start from scratch.
Musiala’s current deal runs through 2026, so there’s no rush, but he’s definitely outgrown his last extension. Bayern will hope that, whoever the next sporting director is, they’ll still be able to lock down their next-gen sensation for many years to come.
Can’t get enough analysis of this insane sequence of events at Bayern Munich? Well, then check out our latest podcast episode! In this special recording session we talk about Bayerns shaky performance vs Koln, the ruthless sacking of Oliver Kahn and Brazzo, concerns about entering the summer without a sporting director, the drama surrounding everything, and implications for player contracts like Davies and Musiala. Listen to it below or on Spotify.
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