RB Leipzig sacks sporting director as exec linked with Bayern

RB Leipzig fired their sporting director Max Eberl on Friday, just a day before the German club faces Bayern Munich.

Interestingly enough, Eberl has recently been linked with a switch to the reigning Bundesliga giants. In a statement released by Leipzig, the club revealed that Eberl was let go due to lack of commitment to his now former team.

“RB Leipzig have relieved Max Eberl of his duties with immediate effect. His failure to commit to the club has led to us making this decision,” read the statement.

“It has nothing to do with the squad’s rebuild or results on the pitch. Sporting director Rouven Schröder will take over. We would like to thank Max for his work and wish him all the best for the future.”

Exec steered RB Leipzig through a summer rebuild to compete with Bayern

Eberl only just joined Leipzig in December of 2022. He was at the helm when the club endured a bit of a rebuild during the summer transfer market. This included the departures of key players such as Josko Gvardiol, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Christopher Nkunku.

However, Eberl also helped Leipzig bring in Lois Openda, Castello Lukeba, and Benjamin Sesko, among others. In the end, Leipzig generated a net gain during the summer transfer window of about $93 million. This was despite the fact that they signed 10 new players.

Eberl previously began playing career with Bayern

With Eberl out of a job, Bayern now have a free run on the exec. Recent reports out of Germany have claimed that the German giants could very well target Eberl as their new sporting director. The former defender previously played for Bayern during for much of his early career. In fact, Eberl advanced through the youth ranks of the club through the 1980s.

Leipzig is set to host Bayern on Saturday, September 30th. The reigning Bundesliga champions are currently one point ahead of Leipzig in the Bundesliga table. Both clubs have enjoyed early successes in the 2023/24, having each picked up four victories in five league matches.

Photo credit: IMAGO / Ulrich Wagner