“You see that time and again even now”: Oliver Kahn’s brother takes a slight swipe at Bayern Munich
Is Oliver Kahn returning to the football business after his unpleasant departure from Bayern Munich? His brother Axel speaks to the Abendzeitung about a possible comeback and criticises the mechanisms at work in Munich.
After the former chief executive's sacking at Säbener Straße in May 2023, the dust took some time to settle.
His brother Axel Kahn takes a relaxed view now. "Oliver is fine with it; nothing has lingered. The Kahn gene takes care of that," said the 60-year-old. The former KSC player added with a wink: "Getting up and carrying on is one of our greatest strengths. Oliver has always been particularly good at that. Life is not just about ups, but downs too."
For the Titan, a return to professional football is by no means out of the question in his brother's view, though Axel has a clear recommendation. "My advice to Oliver would be to enjoy his later years. But no: he's only 57. If a job offer comes along that is tailored to him and that he feels he can make a success of, he would certainly listen," Axel Kahn explained.
The older of the two brothers is less keen on the football industry as it stands. He said he "wouldn't necessarily recommend the football business any more" to the 2001 Champions League winner. "It's all about quick success and a great deal of money now. Surreal figures at the expense of the players and the people. And the older you get, the more extreme the mental strain becomes. I don't know whether you need to put yourself through that again."
When was Oliver Kahn sacked by Bayern Munich?
At Bayern Munich, Kahn's time in the club's leadership was extremely turbulent. The former world goalkeeper joined the Munich club's executive board in early 2020 before succeeding Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as chief executive in the summer of 2021. After a 2022/23 season marked by unrest, the supervisory board parted ways with Kahn and then sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic on the final matchday, immediately before the club won the German championship.
Such practices are nothing new in Munich, according to Axel Kahn. "There have always been these internal battles at Bayern Munich; you can see it time and again now with Max Eberl. He feels he has to justify everything and defend his position — despite a fairly clean record, or rather, successful work," he said of the present situation.
At the club, he sees the balance of power as clear: "Ultimately, Uli Hoeneß always has the final say. But what are we talking about here? The most successful club in the world — leadership is the supreme discipline there."
