Split agreed: Bayern Munich sporting board member Max Eberl loses key member of staff

Bayern Munich have parted ways with their head scout Nils Schmadtke ahead of schedule. The German record champions announced the news on Monday evening.

Bayern Munich and their head of scouting have agreed "by mutual consent following discussions based on trust" to end his employment on 31 January 2027. The 37-year-old's contract had been due to run until summer 2027.

In October 2024, Schmadtke took charge of scouting for the first team and youth players as head of department at the FC Bayern Campus.

The son of former Bundesliga goalkeeper and manager Jörg Schmadtke was seen in Munich as a close confidant of board member for sport Max Eberl. They had previously worked together at Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Yet Schmadtke's departure comes as no surprise. He had faced internal criticism over his leadership style.

Who could succeed Nils Schmadtke as Bayern Munich's chief scout?

Eberl told Bayern Munich's website: "Nils Schmadtke has been a great help in scouting and planning the first-team squad over the past two years," "As head of scouting, he has shaped the department with many new ideas. I would like to thank him for his excellent work and wish him nothing but the very best for the future."

For Schmadtke, working for the German record champions had been "a special task and a great honour": "I am proud of how we have reorganised scouting over the past two years, for the first team as well as for the talents at the Campus."

The task of finding a successor to Schmadtke now falls to sporting director Christoph Freund and Campus head Jochen Sauer, who are responsible for Bayern Munich's youth players.

Once again, Bayern Munich circles are touting Christopher Vivell. The 39-year-old is Manchester United's chief scout and knows Freund well, having previously worked with him at Red Bull Salzburg.