Eberl just a spectator? Hoeneß’s part in the Woltemade transfer saga | OneFootball

Uli Hoeneß has recently shown very clearly that he has not lost influence at FC Bayern, even as honorary president. As it has now become known, the 73-year-old was actively involved in the transfer poker for Nick Woltemade last summer - a role that is unusual for his position.

His appearance on Sunday in the SPORT1-Doppelpass was typical Hoeneß. He took a jab at Newcastle United, declared FC Bayern to be the "real winner of the transfer summer" and engaged in another verbal round in the ongoing feud with Lothar Matthäus. Particularly explosive, however, were his words about sports director Max Eberl, whom he did not back and instead warned: "If certain things don't go well, I will always speak up."

Hoeneß personally called Woltemade

As Sport BILD reports, Hoeneß was also active off-camera this summer. In the transfer poker for Nick Woltemade, the former striker of VfB Stuttgart, the honorary president himself picked up the phone. He contacted the 23-year-old several times to express his appreciation and clarify the perspective at the record champion.

Photo: IMAGO

An unusual approach for an honorary president and supervisory board member, but Hoeneß has always relied on his personal persuasive power. Even during the failed transfer of Florian Wirtz, he was in close contact with his father Hans-Joachim Wirtz. This time too, he wanted to send a signal with his presence.

In the end, however, the deal fell through - not because of Hoeneß's lack of persuasive work, but due to the high demands of VfB Stuttgart. Instead of moving to Munich, Woltemade switched to Newcastle United. Particularly explosive: While Hoeneß and CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen were internally considered supporters of the transfer, Eberl remained more of a silent observer than an active negotiator in the talks with Stuttgart, as the magazine wants to have learned.

This circumstance fuels speculation about the actual distribution of power at Säbener Straße. Officially, Eberl is responsible for sports planning, but Hoeneß shows that he is still ready to intervene directly in day-to-day business in 2025.

Hoeneß remains the puppet master

Whether it's about the transfer market, players like Wirtz and Woltemade, or public criticism of Eberl: Hoeneß still has the final say in the background. For the sports director, this means that despite official responsibility, he cannot always assert himself as the sole decision-maker.

The fact that Hoeneß does not shy away from calling players himself is another indication of how strongly he is still involved in the processes. Unusual for an honorary president - but apparently self-evident for Hoeneß.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.