FC Bayern has found a solution for one of the most important positions in the club. Christoph Freund becomes the new sports director of the German record champions. This was first reported by “BILD”.
The 46-year-old previously held this position at Red Bull Salzburg. He will work for Bayern after the September 1 transfer window.
The position has been vacant since the separation from sports director Hasan Salihamidzic at the end of May. Currently, the “Sports Committee”, which consists of seven people, is responsible for Bayern’s transfers. Members include club boss Jan-Christian Dreesen, honorary president Uli Hoeneß and supervisory board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
The bosses recently emphasized that they wanted to have a successor for Salihamidzic by the end of the year. Now it went faster than expected, although Freund will not be a member of the board.
The Austrian Freund has been sporting director at Red Bull Salzburg since 2015, succeeding Ralf Rangnick. He was previously team manager at RB from 2006 before becoming sports coordinator in 2012. His contract with the club runs until the summer of 2026.
Recently there had been repeated rumors about a commitment from Bavaria to Leipzig managing director Max Eberl. Markus Krösche from Eintracht Frankfurt was also considered a candidate. Freund is considered very competent and loyal. Bayern have been following his work in Salzburg closely for years and have great respect for the work he has done there.
Freund and his team in Salzburg have always managed to develop promising talents into stars and sell them with considerable transfer profits. Probably the most prominent example is Erling Haaland, who moved from Salzburg to Borussia Dortmund and a year ago to Manchester City.
The later Liverpool and current Bayern professional Sadio Mané and national player Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund also come from the RB talent factory.
Big challenges await Freund: After a chaotic season with only one title, Bayern want to be back at the top of Europe. The squad is likely to change significantly in the coming years.
Freund’s commitment could also make it easier for the players from the FC Bayern Campus to make it to the professional level. Honorary President Uli Hoeneß has been hoping for a long time that new young stars like Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger or Thomas Müller will come from the club’s youth academy. Junior manager Jochen Sauer and Freund know each other from their time together in Salzburg. Most recently, Munich had extended the contract with Sauer.
