Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn on Sunday slammed the “cowardly” social media attacks on head coach Julian Nagelsmann, who received 450 death threats via Instagram following their Champions League exit.

“What is going on with people who send anonymous death threats?” Kahn said on a Sport1 talk show.

“There is nothing more cowardly than discrediting and belittling other people anonymously.”

Kahn said the club are considering how to “put a stop to” the sort of abuse aimed at Nagelsmann after Bayern were knocked out of the Champions League by Villarreal last week in the quarter-finals.

On Friday, Nagelsmann revealed he had received hundreds of death threats, and his mother was also threatened, in the wake of a 1-1 home draw after losing the first leg in Spain.

Bayern are close to securing a tenth straight Bundesliga title.

Kahn revealed the club is in talks to convince top-scoring striker Robert Lewandowski, 33, to extend his contract, which expires in 2023.

“We want him to stay at FC Bayern for as long as possible,” added Kahn.

The Poland forward has won back-to-back FIFA best male player awards for the last two years.

His wife Anna Lewandowski fuelled rumours her husband could leave Bayern, with Barcelona as a possible destination, after posting that she is learning Spanish.

Kahn insist Lewandowski will play for Bayern next season and discussions are on-going.

The striker has won seven Bundesliga titles with Bayern and lifted the Champions League in 2020 as part of the team which won the treble. 

Kahn said “it then takes longer to convince” a player to stay who has achieved so much.

The Bayern boss ruled out signing Dortmund striker Erling Haaland as a possible successor to Lewandowski.

The total cost of signing Haaland would be “very far away from what we imagine,” said Kahn.