Max Eberl has found critical words for the development of the transfer market. The Bayern sporting director fears that the “bubble will burst at some point.”
“You can become more and more of a ragman, but everyone who is a ragman will slowly become a bit of a coffin nail of soccer,” said Eberl at the event “The Future of Football” organized by Süddeutsche Zeitung and Stadion der Träume München as part of the cultural program for Euro 2024. “If all the money goes out at some point, then there will be nothing left for us all to manage. “
Recently, PSG striker Kylian Mbappé’s move to Real Madrid made headlines. The 25-year-old is leaving the French club on a free transfer, but according to media reports, the Whites will still have to dig deep into their pockets – with talk of 150 million euros.
However, the money is not going to the club, but elsewhere. “The money goes out of the market, no club benefits from it,” says Eberl. “It benefits players, family, advisors – everyone, but no club.” It used to be the case that “at least clubs benefited. The money stayed in the cycle and that will become less and less. “
In general, Eberl feels the market is too A. “It’s too big and at some point you get the feeling that it’s going to burst. So at some point it will be oversaturated and then Saudi Arabia will come along,” said the 50-year-old, also referring to the new Saudi Professional League. The second-tier league attracts players with salaries in the millions, and the clubs hardly seem to know any limits when it comes to transfer fees. “You get the feeling that it doesn’t feel very nice. I have to be fair, but that’s the market right now. “
Conflicting feelings
Bayern have also made some big transfers. In the summer of 2019, the record champions acquired Lucas Hernandez from Atletico Madrid for 80 million euros. However, the record transfer is Harry Kane, for whom FCB paid €100 million to Tottenham Hotspur a year ago.
Transfers that also increase the pressure on Eberl to succeed, even if he himself was not involved in this deal. “I’m not celebrated here when we finish fifth,” recalls Eberl, “but the fixed deposit account has increased by another X amount. You simply want to reconcile the two. Bayern has always managed that.” He himself “doesn’t want to be part of the total, but of course I also want to be successful. As a sports manager, I’m also caught in this dilemma. “