Last summer, Bayern Munich had dreams of financial grandeur.
Sell off a few players who were not in the long-term plans. Reduce salaries for several players as their contract negotiations came up. It was a simple formula that the club was banking on (literally and figuratively).
Well, that plan went the way of the Hindenburg.
Bayern Munich could not sell off Leon Goretzka, Kingsley Coman, or Serge Gnabry and then tripled Jamal Musiala’s salary (including bonuses), gave Alphonso Davies a far bigger bump than they probably wanted to, and re-upped Manuel Neuer — one of the highest earners on the team.
“Heck of a job, Maxie”
Okay, so that plan failed in a monumental way, so now what? Well, Dayot Upamecano is about to extend his contract (good news!)…likely with a raise (yikes!). At this point, Eberl might have to contact a loan shark (are these guys still around?) or two to secure funds for the summer. In addition, Joshua Kimmich is now — reportedly — deep into talks with Bayern Munich and if you were expecting Eberl to convince Kimmich to take one for the team with a pay cut, you will likely be disappointed per Sport Bild journalists Christian Falk and Tobi Altschäffl (as captured by @iMiaSanMia):
Real Madrid are no longer considering a move for Joshua Kimmich. The midfielder is in very advanced talks with Bayern over a new contract, and both sides want to make the deal happen. It’s only about numbers at the moment. Bayern have presented Kimmich with a contract offer ready for signature, it now only depends on the player signing it at any time. Bayern are very optimistic. There will be no reduction on his current salary.
For fans, Bayern Munich paying these players should not be a massive deal; it’s not our money! Each player deserves their contract and salary based on performances this season. However, it will affect how the club plans for the future, which does touch the fans.
The truth is that Eberl might actually be worse at gambling than Robert Patrick’s character Davey Scatino from The Sopranos and more skilled at blowing up a budget than my wife (don’t worry she doesn’t read anything I write — BFW is a safe space). If his directive really was to cut the salary budget, he totally flamed out.
If deals for Upamecano and Kimmich close soon, Eberl will be on the hot seat to shed salary, which could mean a few things:
- Eberl will probably be get a little more harsh with Goretzka, Coman, and Gnabry and how he deals with them. Unfortunately for Eberl, Vincent Kompany continues to use each player nullifying any threats. Will Eberl attempt to get Kompany to buy in?
- No matter how much Bayern Munich wants to bring back Leroy Sané (the club totally wants him back at a reduced rate, don’t believe anything to the contrary), it really might not be able to. At some point, there has to be a cut — and Sané’s status as a free agent is an easy way to do it (especially if Thomas Müller decides he wants one last ride in 2025/26). Even if Sané cuts his current salary (€15 million, plus €5 million in bonuses) in half, it would still be a heavy burden on an already — allegedly — stretched budget.
- There could be a few unexpected exits this summer…but who? Keep an eye on Kim Min-jae (€12 million), Konrad Laimer (€9 million), Raphaël Guerreiro (€8 million), and Alexander Nübel (€6.5 million). If Eberl cannot move Goretzka, Gnabry, or Coman…the cost savings will have to come from somewhere.
It could be a quiet summer or even a cruel summer (cue the Bananarama) at this rate. The only way that could change is if Florian Wirtz says it is time for a move. At that point, Bayern Munich will beg, borrow, and steal to get their longtime transfer target.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show Season 4, Episode 32
Bayern Munich is weathering the storm quite nicely (so far) this month, but there is much going on both on and off the field in Bavaria these days. Let’s tackle some of it right here on the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show:
- Bayern Munich could extend the contract of Dayot Upamecano before Joshua Kimmich re-ups? Who saw that coming?
- With uncertainty on the menu for this summer, Bayern Munich fans should expect very little action. The biggest keys will be to avoid a panic buy, but to also be ready in the event that that something unexpected happens — like Florian Wirtz wanting to leave Bayer Leverkusen.
- Whatever happens, Max Eberl is under the microscope.
- No, I don’t know what is going on with Thomas Müller either.
- Who do you want to see in the Champions League — Bayer Leverkusen or Atlético Madrid? I think I know who I want.
- A brief Entertainment Rundown.
Song of the Week: “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock n’ Roll)”
I’ve featured AC/DC here a few times (“Thunderstruck” — maybe my all-time favorite song, “Money Talks”, “Who Made Who”), but I chose “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock n’ Roll)” because I ran across an X post, which was remembering Bon Scott on the day of his death in 1980, so I felt like it was a good time to go back to that well. Enjoy:
By the way, it was always going to be tough to replace Bon Scott, but Brian Johnson was about as good as you could get to take the role.
Entertainment Rundown
Daredevil: Born Again
The teaser trailer for Daredevil: Born Again has dropped:
I think the Marvel Universe movies are hitting the end of their shelf-life based on recent box office showings, but there is room for the streaming projects to really continue the franchise in a more feasible way.
I’ll take all the Daredevil and The Punisher that I can get.
We Beat the Dream Team
The 1992 USA Basketball team for the Olympics is one the most fabled teams in any sport, ever. Dominant, charismatic, and littered with legends, the group of NBA stars took the Olympics by storm and breezed to a gold medal (as they should have).
What if we told you, though, that they had actually lost a scrimmage to a group of college all-stars? That is not necessarily breaking news as the game was written about many times, but to be able to see footage, hear the players talk about it, and have the whole thing wrapped up neatly in a documentary format was…absolutely tremendous.
In 1992, I was 15-years-old and probably at the height of my fandom for all sports. I literally read everything, watched everything, and played any sport I could, so when the “Dream Team” was assembled, I was all-in. For me, this documentary was a great blast from the past and throwback to a time when things were not so serious and probably a lot more fun.
Somehow, this documentary was completely off my radar and I only came across it while channel surfing. I am sure glad that happened.
Maybe not everyone will see the value in this or be entertained by it, but — to me — it was tremendous. If you have any memories of that time period or of that team, I think you will, too.
Rating: 10.00/10.00
Predictions
Bundesliga
Let’s get this out of the way — Eintracht Frankfurt is a problem for Bayern Munich.
The ability to quickly transition and counterattack has been the death knell for the Bavarians this season and it just so happens that Eintracht Frankfurt excels at taking advantage of other teams with that tactic.
While the 3-3 draw between the two teams earlier this season was eye-opening, things have changed. Omar Marmoush, a key figure in that draw, now suits for Manchester City, while Bayern Munich seems to be fighting itself at times.
Unable to really get into any kind of rhythm in the attack, Bayern Munich is under-performing — yet still winning — at the moment. There is something to be said for the grit and toughness it takes to claw out wins (or sometimes draws) when you are not at your best. No doubt, Bayern Munich has shown resolve and resilience.
At some point, the Bavarians will need more than that…it just won’t be this weekend.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 2-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
Other Bundesliga Predictions:
- SC Freiburg 1-1 Werder Bremen
- Holstein Kiel 0-5 Bayer Leverkusen
- Wolfsburg 2-0 VfL Bochum
- Mainz 05 1-0 St. Pauli
- Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-1 FC Augsburg 1-3
- Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Union Berlin
- RB Leipzig 4-1 Heidenheim
- Hoffenheim 1-2 VfB Stuttgart (fake dong game of the week)
Bonus DFB-Pokal Predictions:
- Arminia Bielefeld 1-2 Werder Bremen
- RB Leipzig 2-1 Wolfsburg
Prediction Records
- Last Week Bundesliga: 5-4 (Through Matchday 22)
- Overall Bundesliga: 94-104
- UEFA Nations League: 81-66
- Champions League: 87-73 (Through Matchday 10)
- DFB-Pokal: 42-16 (Through part 1 of quarterfinals)
- Total: 305-259
- Perfect Picks: 48 (when the score and winner is predicted exactly)
