‘It wasn’t planned’ — Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on returning to steady Bayern Munich
The former CEO talked about why he returned to Bayern after seeing the state of the club.
11 September 2025, Bavaria, Munich: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge poses for the photographer before an interview. Photo: Lukas Barth/dpa (Photo by Lukas Barth/picture alliance via Getty Images) Bayern Munich has recently struggled to find a balanced and reliable group who are able to direct and control the team, while adapting to the changes of the world of football panorama, and continuing the foundations Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß laid for many years. In 2023, the club found itself in a difficult situation, firing Oliver Khan and Hasan Salihamidzic, and the board had to go back to Rummenigge for advice.
The former Bayern CEO talked about his return in 2023 after stepping down in 2021. “It wasn’t planned. But Uli Hoeneß and Herbert Hainer contacted me because they weren’t happy with the overall situation.
Bayern have always been a serious, solid club. Franz Beckenbauer used to say success is key, but always financed in a sustainable way. At some point we drifted, investing too much in wages and agent commissions, but we’re correcting that now,” Rummenigge told AS (as captured by @iMiaSanMia ).
His return helped the team return to their fundamental values of trying to reduce the wage structure, and negotiating for better deals in the transfer market. Moreover, the presence of someone like Rummenigge offered clarity and direction at the board level, something Bayern has been working on with Sporting Director Cristoph Freund and board member for sport Max Eberl. If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast , Spotify , Apple , or any leading podcast distributor… Join the conversation!