© FCBB
Since July 1, Thorsten Leibenath has been in office as FC Bayern Basketball’s new Sport Director. How he has settled in, how he understands and assesses his new role, and which personnel and structural steps still need to be taken before the start of the 2026/2027 season — the 51-year-old Rhinelander explained all this at an initial media session at BMW Park. At his side was President Herbert Hainer, and CFO Adrian Sarmiento also took questions in the packed media center.
Here are some key statements — the full press conference is also available as a video.
Herbert Hainer on . . .
Thorsten Leibenath:
“I’ve personally been following him for many years because I really liked the concept in Ulm; with relatively modest financial means, managing time and again to be among the top in Germany, even becoming German champions, beating us with young, innovative players who aren’t well-known yet, who still want to prove they’re hungry and want to move forward. (…) I still remember well when we first met at my apartment here in Schwabing. I think there was chemistry right from the start, because I really liked his experience and expertise — both as a coach and as sporting director in Ulm.”
FCBB’s goals:
“Of course, wherever FC Bayern competes, the goals are ambitious. And there’s no question — as I’ve said several times — that this season was disappointing because we didn’t achieve any of our three objectives. But that doesn’t mean we’re backing away from our ambitions. It’s crystal clear that we want to become German champions, that we want to win the cup, and of course we also want to reach the EuroLeague playoffs or the Play-Ins.”
The competition in Europe:
“The last few weeks have shown again that our budget is roughly in the bottom third of the EuroLeague. But FC Bayern Munich’s path has always been to achieve maximum sporting success on a financially stable basis. And we won’t deviate from that. We’ve proven over the last 50 years in football that despite having fewer resources than some other clubs backed by oligarchs, entire states, or investors, we can still be very successful on the field and very, very stable financially. I think, apart from Real Madrid, there isn’t a club that generates everything itself financially and is as well positioned as we are.
We won’t scale back our goals. But always keep in mind that we’re fighting with a relatively small budget in the EuroLeague. And we have to overperform if we want to make the playoffs. (…) Mike James has apparently gone to Efes for three million. Three million for us is 6.5 million gross — for one player that would be more than 50 percent of the entire budget we have. We can’t and won’t afford that; we want to do things sensibly and responsibly from a financial standpoint. But that doesn’t mean we’re lowering our goals. I’m firmly convinced that with Anton Gavel and Thorsten Leibenath we have one of the most ambitious and innovative coaching or sporting teams in the Bundesliga and in Europe.”
Herbert Hainer, president FC Bayern München | © FCBB
Thorsten Leibenath on . . .
His first days at FCBB:
”
“I’ve landed at a truly impressive organization. That’s my first impression, but what Mr. Hainer and Adrian have built here is more than impressive. I’m incredibly excited to get to work. I find that things here are done very strategically, with vision, yet at the same time in a down-to-earth way: with the necessary foresight but also with the necessary grounding. And I like that extremely. I’m really looking forward to the task. I also believe I’ll be given the opportunity to be creative here. We will certainly try, at times with unconventional, exceptional measures, to achieve special results. (…) Everyone in the basketball world knows what a respected location Munich is. FC Bayern Munich is held in very high regard for what it has achieved in the past and, of course, for the potential that still lies dormant here.
The signings so far:
“I’m not the lead responsible for all transfers, but I’m very happy that, for example, we were able to sign a young and, in my view, very up-and-coming talent like Tobias Jensen. In addition, we’ve signed Duane Washington, a young but absolutely established EuroLeague player. We’ve brought in Austin Wiley, who doesn’t yet have EuroLeague experience but has come out of every league he’s played in as the rebounding king. We’re very excited about him as well, as he will surely strengthen us on the boards. And with Johannes Thiemann, I believe we’ve hit the jackpot — a player who, and I say this without any exaggeration, fits any team well both as a person and as a player. He embodies a great deal of what makes successful basketball and is versatile in his use.”
Thorsten Leibenath, Sport Director FC Bayern Basketball | © FCBB
The arms race in the EuroLeague:
“I’d also say we’re not among the teams playing at the very top financially. I’m fine with that and it doesn’t bother me at all personally — I actually find it exciting to operate at EuroLeague level with somewhat smaller means. My ambition — and I hope I can pass it on to everyone — is to overperform. We want to overperform in the EuroLeague. We don’t want to end the season where our budget says we should.”
Identity and identification:
“What’s really important to me in the recruiting process now is that we bring in players who can identify 100 percent with FC Bayern and with the task ahead of them here. Then it will be Anton’s job, together with the players, the staff and me, to develop an identity. What that will look like, I can’t say at this point. But I do have a clear idea of the pillars such an identity must have: always doing everything that is required of you with maximum intensity and passion. And that’s not just about the players — it’s about training sessions, promotions, closeness to the fans. We have to do all of that with maximum passion, with maximum intensity. And if that pillar is in place, an identity will emerge from it.”
Adrian Sarmiento, CEO Business FC Bayern Basketball | © FCBB