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Hasan Salihamidžić and President Herbert Hainer (.) observe FC Bayern's secret training (on August 11, 2022)
Photo: IMAGO/Ulrich Wagner
The German soccer record champion FC Bayern Munich has committed its sports director Hasan Salihamidžić to 2026.
At its meeting on Monday evening, the supervisory board unanimously decided to extend the contract with the 45-year-old by a further three years, the association announced.
First, the "Bild" newspaper reported the extension of the contract.
Talks were actually only planned for September.
Former Bayern professional Salihamidžić became sports director in 2017 and was promoted to the board in summer 2020.
This was associated with a new contract until the end of June 2023.
"Hasan Salihamidžić has done an excellent job in the five years he has been in charge at Bayern Munich," said President Herbert Hainer.
»Hasan Salihamidžić gives everything for FC Bayern 24 hours a day.
He stands for the FC Bayern gene, for continuity and for titles." Hainer had already said in July that Bayern Munich wanted to extend Salihamidžić.
"I've always said: I love FC Bayern, Munich is my home," said sporting director Salihamidžić, according to the club's announcement.
Not an easy start for the series champion
He had often been publicly criticized for transfers in the past.
The purchases of Sadio Mané (Liverpool FC), Noussair Mazraoui and Ryan Gravenberch (both Ajax Amsterdam) and Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus Turin) for the season that has just started brought him a lot of recognition.
As a player, Salihamidžić worked for FC Bayern from 1998 to 2007. With him as sporting director, the club won five German championships, the DFB Cup twice and also the Champions League in the historic six-title year 2020/21.
In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung at the beginning of August, Salihamidžić said his early days at Bayern were “not easy”.
He had “made mistakes” and “burned his fingers here and there.
First I had to find my place between Kalle Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß.
Restructuring the team was complicated, then the pandemic came.
It was all part of a growth process.«
jok/dpa