Bayern Munich's sporting director Max Eberl was not prepared to let this verbal jibe from his former boss at RB Leipzig go unchallenged. "I heard it too," said Eberl after FC Bayern's 5-0 win over TSG Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga, speaking to reporters in the Allianz Arena about RB supervisory board chairman Oliver Mintzlaff.
"I don't know if it does justice to the players Openda, Baumgartner, Lukeba, Xavi Simons that padel tennis was the only good thing," said Eberl about his achievements during his short time as managing director of sport at the Saxons. He also listed the contract extension with Dani Olmo. The Spanish international was later sold to FC Barcelona for a lot of money.
A padel court as the only good thing?
The day before the Bayern game, Red Bull boss Mintzlaff had remarked at the presentation of Jürgen Klopp as "Head of Global Soccer" in Salzburg that "the good thing" that Eberl had left behind in Leipzig was "a padel court".
Eberl worked in Leipzig from December 2022 to September 2023. "But if it's the padel tennis court and he doesn't see the players so well, then I'd be happy to talk to him. Then we'll bring them here," said Eberl.
Jürgen Klopp "no messiah"
In sporting terms, Eberl sees his ex-club RB Leipzig as a very serious competitor in German soccer with the Red Bull Group behind them and also after signing Klopp. "Jürgen is fantastic. We don't need to talk about his life's work. But he's not a messiah either. He's not going to lead all Red Bull clubs in the individual countries to the championship title. He has said he won't do it as a coach. But his know-how is of course a huge gain for the clubs," said Eberl on Klopp's arrival.
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