Bayern Munich have had a chaotic ride in 2022/23. From Champions League highs to DFB-Pokal exiting lows, the Rekordmeister have seen it all. Now it’s coming down to the last three games of the Bundesliga season, an eleventh consecutive title very much still in the air.
But CEO Oliver Kahn is optimistic.
“Of course we want to be German champions again this year — and we’ll make it!” Kahn said in comments appearing in Tz (via @iMiaSanMia). “There have always been difficult situations in the past, from which FC Bayern broke free and emerged stronger
“What matters is that the leadership remains calm, and that will be the case this time too. That’s what FC Bayern stands for, and that’s what I personally stand for — with all my passion.”
Calm wasn’t exactly the appearance Bayern showed to the world after sacking manager Julian Nagelsmann just ahead of a pivotal run of games, and continued uneven performances since have left Kahn the subject of much ire. However, the CEO attempted again to explain what had happened.
“I can handle criticism as long as it doesn’t become personal. Nowadays, facts tend to get left behind,” Kahn said. “Even before the World Cup, we kept having big fluctuations in performance. This trend increased after the World Cup. Eventually we got to the point where we had to react.”
It’s been a long year for the Bavarians, with the toll, both physical and mental, now coming to a head. However, Bayern are in pole position still for the Bundesliga title — and Kahn trusts they’ve put the right man in place to bring it home.
“Thomas Tuchel said after the game in Mainz that our players give the impression of having played more than 80 games,” Kahn concluded. “An experienced coach like him can handle it — but even he can’t change everything overnight.”