'We're in a better position this season': Max Eberl on the upcoming campaign, Bayern Munich’s squad, and his future
Ahead of Bayern Munich’s friendly victory over RB Leipzig, the club's board member for sport Max Eberl, spoke on what he believes the team need to do in order to enjoy another successful season.
Following their record breaking 122-goal Bundesliga season that saw them lift a second consecutive league title, Bayern will have their work cut out if they’re to match last season’s heroics.
Having also picked up the DFB Cup trophy after beating VfB Stuttgart, their Matchday 1 opponents this term, the only piece of silverware missing from an otherwise incredible campaign was the UEFA Champions League.
However, the Bavarians recruited both Ismael Saibari and Nathaniel Brown over the summer in their quest for another trophy-laden season, signings Eberl believes takes the side to another level:
“They [Saibari and Brown] give the squad even more variability, because Nene can play on the left, the right and centrally. He could even act as a backup for Lucho [Díaz].
"With Ismael, we have a player who can play all positions up front, who can bring in a different kind of football as well.”
It’s not only as a result of the new additions that he thinks Bayern can be even better in 2026/27, though, with a handful of world-class talent ready to bounce back after a disrupted 2025/26.
“We think that we’re in a better position," Eberl continued. "Lennart Karl is a year older, and Jamal [Musiala] and Phonzy [Davies] will hopefully return to the form that they showed before their injuries."
Improvement on excellence is never easy, however, and Bayern have a difficult first hurdle to jump when the Bundesliga season begins on 28 August.
They’ll kick things off against Sebastian Hoeneß’s Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena, a side who have reached consecutive DFB Cup finals and finished fourth last term.
The Swabians haven’t beaten Bayern on their turf since the 2017/18 season, though, and Vincent Kompany's men proved last term that they’re more than capable of racing out the blocks quickly.
“Last year we had our first game in the Bundesliga against Leipzig at home and that was an immediate 6-0 win,” Eberl said. “Then this flow started, and we have to work hard to get it back. It’s far from a given.
"We have to work hard for it, believe in it, and play every opponent like that.”
With the new season fast approaching, Eberl's own future has also been a topic of discussion, with a contract extension a distinct possibility: “The contact has always been there [with the club management]. My future will be clarified, I believe, at the end of August. We’ll figure it out. All other discussions are internal and very trusting.”
Following their friendly 3-1 win over Leipzig on Saturday, Bayern will now turn their attention to their Franz Beckenbauer Supercup clash with rivals Borussia Dortmund, which takes place on 22 August.
