FC Bayern appoint Christoph Freund as sporting director

FC Bayern have appointed Christoph Freund as the club’s new sporting director as of 1 September 2023. The 46-year-old Austrian will join the German record champions from Red Bull Salzburg, where he currently holds the same position.

Jan-Christian Dreesen, FC Bayern CEO: "We are delighted that we have been able to bring in such an experienced and successful sporting director for FC Bayern in Christoph Freund. We are convinced that he is the right person to strengthen the team in the future, together with Thomas Tuchel’s coaching team and technical director Marco Neppe. It has been mutually agreed with Red Bull Salzburg, where Christoph Freund has done an outstanding job, that he will still fully shape the current transfer period with his long-time employer and will not join us until the beginning of September. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank managing director Stephan Reiter for the constructive talks."

Christoph Freund: "After the talks with the FC Bayern management, it was clear to me that I wanted to accept this new challenge. I'm really looking forward to giving everything I can, with all my energy and passion, from 1 September onwards, to ensure that this club continues to be so successful in sporting terms in the future, that it continues to be amongst the world’s top teams, and that it inspires its fans with attractive football. It is important to me that a club has an identity, and that is what FC Bayern stands for without question. I am very grateful to Salzburg for 17 successful and emotional years, and I will be just as committed to the club in this transfer period as I am known to be."

Born in Salzburg, he played for the Austrian first division club in his youth and returned as team manager in 2006. He became sports coordinator in the winter of 2012 and succeeded Ralf Rangnick as sporting director for the 2015/16 season. During this time, the club developed numerous international young players and also won 14 Austrian Bundesliga titles (most recently ten in a row) and nine Austrian Cups. Since 2020, Salzburg have always qualified for the group stage of the Champions League. In 2022, the Austrians reached the round of 16, where they were eliminated by FC Bayern. In 2018, Salzburg reached the semi-finals of the Europa League.

Bayern are currently at their training camp at Tegernsee: