Max Eberl wants to be up close and personal in Seoul. Training, test matches, team chemistry - the Munich sports director wants to soak it all up on site. He could also conduct the transfer business on the move.
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- FC Bayern Munich play a test match against Tottenham in South Korea on their summer tour.
- Chief Sports Officer Max Eberl is also traveling to Asia. "Maybe when the others are asleep in the evening and at night, I'll be awake and on the phone," said Eberl. Because Bayern Munich may still have a few transfers to make.
- One reason for the trip to South Korea is that Eberl wants to see the training sessions. "I want to feel the initial atmosphere when most of the squad is already together."
Even in the peak phase of the transfer business, sporting director Max Eberl wants to be close to the FC Bayern Munich team. And that is why the 50-year-old will also be traveling with the team to South Korea. After all, the day-to-day business can nowadays also be conducted 8500 kilometers away from Munich.
"Maybe when the others are asleep in the evening and at night, I'll be awake and on the phone, because Europe has a different time zone," Eberl remarked during the presentation of new signing João Palhinha, which took place in Munich before the trip to Asia. Korea is seven hours ahead of German summer time.
"The fact that people are very mobile these days with all their devices means I can afford to keep up," argued the sporting director. And on Monday, the Bayern squad will also return to Munich on an overnight flight.
On-site talks with sales candidates?
Following the purchases of midfielder Palhinha (FC Fulham), winger Michael Olise (Crystal Palace) and defender Hiroki Ito (VfB Stuttgart), Eberl, together with sporting director Christoph Freund, is currently tasked with generating revenue from player sales in addition to initiating further signings. In this respect, his presence in Korea is perhaps so helpful because he could talk to potential sales candidates such as Leon Goretzka, Noussair Mazraoui and possibly Joshua Kimmich or Serge Gnabry.
As another planned trip to China will not take place, the Munich summer tour will "actually be limited to four or five days. The whole trip is a bit shorter than it was planned," said Eberl.
Training, Tottenham test and "feeling the atmosphere"
Away from the transfer market, however, he also wants to observe the further preparations under new coach Vincent Kompany at close quarters. "I want to see the training sessions. I want to feel the initial atmosphere when most of the squad is already together." He also wants to experience the test against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday (13:00 CEST) at the World Cup Stadium. "It's the first real yardstick we'll have. I just want to be there."
One Bayern professional is already in Korea. Defender Minjae has already traveled to his home country to visit his family. He will join the team on site, which is due to arrive in Seoul on Thursday morning local time. However, the Munich squad will not be complete for the marketing tour. In addition to England goalscorer Harry Kane, the two Frenchmen Kingsley Coman and Dayot Upamecano and the Dutchman Matthijs de Ligt are still on vacation, as is the Canadian Alphonso Davies after the Copa América.
International Leroy Sané is still undergoing individual recovery training following his groin operation. Japan's Ito will also be out for a longer period of time after suffering a broken metatarsal in the test match against 1. FC Düren (1:1).
