On November 11, Bayern Munich, the most successful club in German football, renewed the contract with CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen, extending his contract until 2027. This follows a spectacular weekend for the team. A phenomenal goal by Jamal Musiala helped the Rekordmeister beat St. Pauli in Hamburg. Bayern hosted the NFL Germany Game at their home stadium, the Allianz Arena. The New York Giants and Carolina Panthers clashed, and the Panthers won in overtime. 

Dreesen Helps Navigate Difficult Time

After Bayern Munich parted ways with previous CEO Oliver Kahn and Director of Sport Hasan Salihamidzic in May 2023, Dreesen became the club’s CEO. He has overseen the club during one of its most challenging periods in the last ten years. 

After Khan and Salihamidzic’s departure, Bayern performed a miracle comeback to clinch the Bundesliga title in 2023. To the dismay of many, the team didn’t win a title last season, something that hadn’t occurred in over a dozen years.

In a statement from the club, Bayern president Herbert Hainair said, “Jan-Christian Dreesen took over the chairmanship of the board during a difficult phase and quickly led FC Bayern München back into calm waters. We want to continue on this path together. We are certain that he’s the right person to tackle the challenges ahead together with his board colleagues Michael Diederich and Max Eberl and to achieve FC Bayern’s ambitious goals.”

Bayern’s Signing Successes

Bayern’s complicated relationship with head coach Thomas Tuchel haunted the 2023-2024 season, as did the long search for a new coach after his departure. The 38-year-old Vincent Kompany from Burnley was finally hired to take the position even though he was not the club board’s first choice and was signed to a contract through 2027. The board’s decision to hire the inexperienced Belgian head coach and former player appears brilliant after his team scored 20 goals throughout three games. 

Director of Sport Max Eberl and Sporting Director Christoph Freund are behind the club’s sporting decisions. Still, Dreesen’s resolve during the negotiations with Tottenham to acquire Harry Kane, England’s all-time highest goalscorer and England’s captain, was instrumental in signing the player. 

Speculation Behind the Scenes

There were doubts about Dreesen continuing as CEO despite his successes. In October, Die Süddeutsche Zeitung theorized that the club might consider replacing Dreesen with a new CEO. 

According to the reporting, there was some indication that some within Bayern’s club desired to have a past player, such as the previous CEO Khan, be the new person in charge. This isn’t unreasonable speculation since former players have always run Bayern Munich. 

For example, Uli Hoeneß was the sporting director and then club president. Bayern could select one of its own to rerun the club in the foreseeable future. 

Bayern has given potential future candidates some time to evolve into their potential roles since Dreesen’s contract extension is until 2027. This provides stability to the Rekordmeister as Bayern seeks to become once again a force to reckon with in German football.

In a club statement, Dreesen said, “I would like to thank the supervisory board for the trust they have placed in me and look forward to continuing to work with them. FC Bayern has always been a matter of the heart for me. Together with my colleagues on the board and all employees, I would like to do my part to ensure that FC Bayern remains what it is: one of the absolute top clubs in Europe, both in terms of sports and business, with a great Bavarian tradition and the highest domestic and international standards.”