by Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) — Discovering the expertise of Erling Haaland would possibly elevate somebody to heroic standing in soccer. For Christoph Freund, the invention of the Norwegian standout is not the one purpose Bayern Munich took discover.
In eight years, Freund remodeled RB Salzburg into certainly one of Europe’s prime expertise factories. He’s credited with discovering stars like Sadio Mane from Senegal, former Liverpool striker Naby Keita, Japanese International Takumi Minamino, and French worldwide Dayot Upamecano.
Starting this Friday, the 46-year-old will step into his new position as Bayern Munich’s sporting director, succeeding the departed Hasan Salihamidzic. He has inked a deal that lasts till 2027.
Freund’s arrival fills a major hole for Bayern. The crew hasn’t seen a homegrown expertise rise to its first crew since Bavarian favourite Thomas Muller in 2009.
While there is not any assure Freund will uncover one other Haaland, the bar is about excessive. The 2020 treble-winning facet lately underwent a considerable management shuffle. Beyond Salihamidzic’s exit, chairman Oliver Kahn left after some unsuccessful transfers and a strained relationship with the membership’s youth academy.
Bayern’s chairman, Jan-Christian Dressen, commented on the brand new director’s duties. The membership hopes Freund can apply his talent-finding acumen as soon as extra.
Freund articulated a two-pronged strategy for Bayern: “It does not mean must be either or. We will keep on signing top stars but at the same time increase the number of talents we get to the first team,” the previous midfielder shared.
Recent signings underneath Freund’s watch embrace South Korean worldwide Kim Min-Jae and England captain Harry Kane.
In his new position, Freund goals to bridge varied membership departments, driving effectivity. He acknowledged the problem in sustaining an elite degree whereas fostering membership expertise, indicating that dialogue and collaboration can be key.
Though he is joined Bayern, Freund stated he nonetheless must acquaint himself with the membership’s core essence. He plans to work intently with the membership’s head coach, the 2021 UEFA Champions League winner, Thomas Tuchel.
For Freund, becoming a member of Bayern is a pinnacle second. Despite Salzburg’s achievements and Haaland’s present trajectory, he acknowledges that Bayern operates on a distinct magnitude, with inherent pressures and expectations. Unlike Salihamidzic, Freund envisions his position extra behind the curtains.