“Philipp Lahm: The Answer to FC Bayern’s Uli Hoeneß Legacy Question”

If there is a real crisis at FC Bayern, then he comes back to Säbener Straße and cleans up the shop. The patron of the record champion, Uli Hoeneß. Even though he has long been out of the club’s operative business as honorary president, he continues to pull the strings from his residence at Tegernsee.

A fact that is not good evidence for those actually responsible at Bayern. Board boss Oliver Kahn and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic are more than ever under scrutiny.

Even Kahn fails because of Hoeneß’s gigantic legacy

While Salihamidzic, as Hoeneß’s “foster son”, enjoys a certain amount of trust from the record champions, Kahn could become the prominent victim of the great Hoeneß caesura after the season. Yes, even for the “Titan” the legacy of the patron was too gigantic.

Is there anyone who could make sure that one day Hoeneß leans relaxed in his rocking chair and devotes himself to the ripples in the water? So completely without worries about his legacy?

FC Bayern: Lahm is the logical answer to the Hoeneß question

Perhaps there is a 1.69 meter small answer to this big question: Philipp Lahm. The 39-year-old is a Munich legend and was already considered a future Bayern boss when he retired in 2017. Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, then still the active bosses, immediately offered him the vacant post of sports director – Lahm declined.

He doesn’t want to suddenly be the boss of all his teammates from one day to the next. “It’s not so easy to ignore this fact, free from previous emotions,” he explained in 2021. A noble reason, which at the same time proves the right feeling for such a great responsibility at FC Bayern.

The then promoted President and Chairman of the Supervisory Board was also a reason for the rejection, as Lahm admitted: “I think Uli Hoeneß is still too energetic to let go.” Lahm could therefore not imagine working with Hoeneß, who was still active . “I believe that there must be a hierarchy in every company or association. Everyone should know and understand their role in such a structure,” the world champion explained to “Deutsche Welle”.

Hoeneß and Lahm appreciate the open culture of debate

Statements that were not well received by the Bayern patron at the time. It was presented in such a way that everyone “must be afraid” of him and Rummenigge, countered Hoeneß in “Welt”. Lahm can learn perfectly from the duo, because “there are hardly any better teachers”.

However, the relationship is not permanently disturbed by this. Hoeneß and Lahm appreciate each other, that was the case throughout the full-back’s career. Lahm was known for his clear opinion in the club and did not shy away from the counter word. In 2009 he criticized the squad policy of the club in an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” and was immediately quoted for the report.

Lahm against Hoeneß, Rummenigge and Karl Hopfner. “The volume was a bit higher, enormously loud,” the 39-year-old later recalled in “Bild”. But it was a good start, said Lahm, who appreciates Hoeneß’s open culture of debate.

Lahm doesn’t shy away from confrontation

Lahm does not shy away from confrontation with the big names. In 2018 he publicly criticized the management style of national coach Joachim Löw. Most recently, he attacked the sheik club Paris Saint-Germain in a column in “Zeit” and did not hold back with criticism of the superstars Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi.

“Great teams that people identify with develop in a process. This can only succeed with cooperation, solidarity and community,” he writes, among other things. He seems to know what is important in a club.

Since his rejection at FC Bayern, he has developed enormously externally. On the field, Lahm was considered an intelligent leader. He also tries to live up to this reputation in his management style as an entrepreneur.

And here we come to a small dilemma. Lahm is the head of the organizing committee for the 2024 home European Championship at the DFB. He has held various positions at the association over the years and helped shape German football. At the same time, he has been a sporting advisor at VfB Stuttgart since the end of 2022.

Lahm rejects Kahn successor… right?

When asked about the possible successor to Kahn, the 2014 world champion already announced in April to the “Bild” that he was currently “not available for any task at FC Bayern” and felt committed to his task as tournament director.

It’s not a general cancellation. The club may find an interim solution until after the EM. Hoeneß seems to be bored in his pseudo-retirement anyway.

For him it was already clear in 2017: “The door will remain open for Philipp Lahm. I can imagine that one day he will work at FC Bayern.” And the word of the Bayern patron is law in Munich.