Hasan Salihamidžić is a good example of how fast-paced and changeable the football business is. FC Bayern is rewarding its sports director for a lot of transfer skills with a new contract until 2026. An amazing development is just being repeated.
First smiled at and insulted, now admired and rewarded: After plenty of praise as the transfer king of this soccer summer, Hasan Salihamidžić has received the long-awaited appreciation from his employer in the form of a new, well-paid contract. The FC Bayern supervisory board around President Herbert Hainer and Uli Hoeneß, who always stood by his foster son as a sponsor "in good times and bad", extended the contract with the 45-year-old sporting director by three years until June 30, 2026 .
From the "little boy" from Bosnia, as the nickname "Brazzo" translates into German, to the boss: It's a real story of transformation that Salihamidžić has written since his unexpected appointment as sporting director five years ago. And he chose a lot of pathos in his words as a thank you for the gigantic trust of the club. "I've always said it: I love FC Bayern, Munich is my home." Mia san mia - off to new titles and deals worth millions.
It is a development that is as rapid as it is amazing, which the ex-professional has made especially in the past few months. And it is similar to his professional career: as a 21-year-old, Salihamidžić switched from Hamburger SV to FC Bayern in 1998. Even then he was smiled at, but the civil war refugee bit through in the Munich star ensemble as a nameless man. He wore the Bayern jersey for nine years and won the Champions League in 2001 alongside the current CEO, Oliver Kahn. It was the pinnacle of his career.
The biggest mistake seems to be underestimating Salihamidžić. He is diligent, determined, able to learn - and he can take it. His initial phase as sports director was marked by public scorn and ridicule. Later there were nasty insults in the social networks, some Bayern fans whistled at him at the championship celebration a few months ago. Salihamidžić was the bogeyman when the popular title collector Hansi Flick fled to the national coaching office. There had been an escalating cadre dissent between the alpha animals, some of which was publicly held. David Alaba's free transfer loss in 2021 (he moved to Real Madrid) was also heavily blamed on Salihamidžić.
In his early days as manager, Salihamidžić was crushed between the former Bayern alphas Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. He was the compromise solution of the duo, who could not commit to a sports director: Rummenigge wanted ex-captain Philipp Lahm, Hoeneß would have wanted to get Max Eberl from Gladbach. Salihamidžić was unhappy in public for a long time. But intensive media training and apprenticeships in the tough professional business steeled him quickly.
And in this transfer summer he then delivered, especially with the top stars Sadio Mané and Matthijs de Ligt. At the same time, the sales balance is right: In addition to world footballer Robert Lewandowski, a number of bench pressers and talents such as striker Joshua Zirkzee were sold to FC Bologna for a lot of money. Buyer Salihamidžić spent around 140 million, but also earned over 100 million. The sports director "always keeps an eye on the economic conditions", praised Hainer. "Hasan gets a one for transfers - and an asterisk for sales," said record national player Lothar Matthäus recently.
Part of the new profile of a mature Hasan Salihamidžić is that he now sits up in the stands next to CEO Kahn during games and no longer down on the bench next to coach Julian Nagelsmann. In conversations with reporters, he now appears self-confident and shows a clear edge. Kahn and Salihamidžić have staked their claims. Kahn claims the big picture for himself: "I'm there to keep track." Salihamidžić is responsible for day-to-day business. He is the implementer in everyday life, close to the professionals, close to the coach.
And after his summer shopping spree, manager Salihamidžić obliges Nagelsmann to convert his personal template into top football and titles. The club rebuilt the squad "in line with the coach's ideas". Now it's about the sporting implementation, "the title yield". Hasan Salihamidžić has already been rewarded in advance - with his new contract until 2026.
