FC Bayern: No Plan. No Kahn.
Kahn is too inexperienced to stay CEO. The club is suffering, because he proved to be an opportunist without a plan.
The current FC Bayern München crisis is self-inflicted by its CEO Oliver Kahn. There was no strategic plan, just wishful ideas by an opportunist that is not yet ready to lead a club this size.
He wanted to shape an era by installing the most expensive coach in football history. He talked proudly of the strongest squad ever. Things seemed to be going well, until another shiny object hit the scene.
Calling it a crisis is almost a luxury, because it sounds temporary. But it has been coming. And it could turn most costly.
There are the massive financial investments Kahn made in players, coaches, and salaries. Lack of leadership resulted in a squad with not a glimpse of self-confidence. Lost trust from club members means more distractions on the sidelines. Lost competitions mean lost revenues. Fewer revenues translate to fewer options to stay competitive in the future.
So what happened, and why is Kahn to blame?
FC Bayern München was in the running for titles in the Champions League, the DFB Pokal and the Bundesliga. Just weeks ago. It is now holding on for dear life to bring home only one of these three titles. The smallest of this season’s goals.
For no obvious or competitive reason Kahn sacked the coach. The same coach they wanted to shape an era with. The most expensive coach ever. Why? Allegedly there was a visible downward trend in some stats over the last 18 months.
The reality was that another coach was on the market and ready to sign. A bigger name, with more international experience. So Kahn decided to sack the young coach, meant to shape an era, after only 1.5 seasons. At the ladder stage of the season, three title races still going, and a clear lead from the top position.
It was only at that very moment that it became clear to me that there was no strategic plan for the club was being run. A vision at best, but nothing other than cash, ideas and opportunism. Being smarter in hindsight, let’s break down a few of these lost opportunities during Kahn’s time as CEO.
It is not about you. It is about the club.
Kahn can not stop making everything about himself. During the annual assemblies he talks about himself. His impressions, his experiences, and his pride.
Confronted with criticism by fans, members and even by even all-time-greats of the club, he talks about how this doesn’t affect him. How he focuses on the results, and has no time to think about the criticism. (Which begs the question of what, if at all, he even is thinking about at all.)
No word about the negative effects on the club, its identity, its relationship with its members, or the players on the pitch.
Kahn thought it was great to usher in an era with the same coach he fired 18 months later. The idea of the era was great. Bring in a young coach, a childhood fan of the club and a locally-born Bavarian from the region. Someone who completely identified himself with the club, as well. Plus the coach wasn’t a noob. He had plenty of experience. He demonstrated that he was able to learn quickly, adapt, and win. And he developed new talent, something the club has seen in a long time. And that’s despite a star-studded bench.
But Kahn smelled an opportunity when the current coach appeared on the market, ready to sign. So Kahn threw overboard all the planning (?) and commitment to establishing the era, so he could install the coach that was ‘better’ on paper.
What followed was another public disaster. A disaster in mutual respect, communication, people management, and leadership. After the press got confirmation that the coach was getting fired before he himself knew, Kahn and his team pointed fingers at ‘the other side’ - the new coach and his team! To save his own skin, Kahn threw everyone else under the bus. The different messages from inside the club are evidence of that.
After Kahn fired the coach, the team lost crucial games that got them kicked out of two major tournaments (against Freiburg and Manchester City). The new coach didn’t deliver the desired results. Kahn didn’t reflect on his own actions, nor did he take responsibility of any kind. Instead of demonstratively backing the squad, Kahn went after them publicly. The same players that a few weeks ago competed in the three top tournaments, and his team praised as the best ever Bayern squad. He threw them out with the bath water.
Desperate survival tactics, not leadership.
Don’t survive. Lead.
Present a vision and the measurable strategic milestones of how to get there. Kahn started the vision part with the Bayern Ahead ‘project’ (workshop). The strategy and measurable milestones didn’t extend beyond the usual phrases one finds after every workshop any new MBA graduate runs to prove initiative. Words around ‘innovation, creativity and strategic objectives’. They mean exactly nothing. Kahn himself said “We need a holistic club strategy that reduces complexity and provides direction.“ Where is that strategy and what is the direction?
The annual members assembly could have been an opportunity to show leadership. A chance to paint the picture of that strategy. Instead Kahn was rambling about himself and what this position means to him. Nothing noteworthy about his actual plans or strategic direction.
The Qatar sponsorship issue was a complete disaster, in crisis management, leadership, and communication. And continues to be. You can read plenty about the missed opportunities of working with the club members, or guiding a constructive discussion. The lack of humility, respect of the clubs’ own values of diversity and inclusion, by inaction of proposals by its own members. None of those opportunities were taken. Instead the club actively worked to subdue the voices and actions of its own members. Even in court. It was unable to deal with the demands of the current and future generations. Instead relying on elitist hierarchies and power structures of ages past.
The talk and actions we saw are evidence of classic survival tactics. None display leadership, which includes risk and responsibility, especially when times are rough.
After the world’s best striker left Bayern for Barcelona, Kahn approved signing the currently most expensive player on the payroll. To zero effect and for no clear reason or need. Other than a press conference announcing the signing as a big deal, the huge price tag resulted in nothing other than a loss of cash and, much more damaging, a dysfunctional team hierarchy. The player was pitched to the club as an opportunity. The need for that player remains unclear to this day.
My hypothesis is that Kahn is too inexperienced to stay CEO. The size of the club and the demands of a new era of leadership are too big for him.
Statements like ‘I’m only focused on the competitive results and successes now. I can not think about what’s to come. At the end of the season, we will sit together and take some quiet time to talk about what happened.’ sound like survival tactics of a bygone era.
From a leader with a plan I’d expect to hear things like, ‘While it is our job to ensure the long-term success of the club, we are currently focused on that our players have what they need to win. Keeping their backs clear, and rumours out of the limelight. We will decide about future plans at the next board meeting.’
Curious what the board will decide at the end of may. In the words of president Herbert Hainer ‘It will be our job to continue the tradition of success with the next generation‘.