Bayern Munich sporting director denies rumors of manager search
Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has revealed that the club is not actively looking for a replacement for coach Niko Kovac.
The mood at Bayern Munich was quite pleasant after their convincing 5-1 win over Benfica in the Champions League. The Bavarians sealed their place in the competitionr’s round of 16 with their win over the Portuguese giants. The club hierarchy will be hoping they can continue delivering such performances in the Bundesliga.
Coach Niko Kovac has been subject to much criticism in the past few weeks as his side’s Bundesliga form has gone from bad to worse. There have been numerous reports, suggesting his days at the club are numbered. Speaking with the press after yesterday’s match (via Sky Sports), Hasan Salihamidzic confirmed that Kovac will be in the dugout for Saturday’s game against Werder Bremen. The Bayern sporting director also asserted that the club is not actively seeking a replacement for the Croatian.
"“There was 100 per cent no contact with Arsene Wenger. We will travel to Bremen with Niko Kovac as our manager and we will win.“We have often failed to hold such a focused performance for the whole 90 minutes. But we have done really well against Benfica and we can now build on that.”"
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The former Bayern midfielder been scrutinized himself for not executing the role of sporting director in an effective way. Brazzo said he doesn’t have to defend himself to the media, though, as the club knows he is working hard in the background. He further added that the club will be looking to improve their squad in the upcoming winter and summer transfer windows.
Arsene Wenger was heavily linked with Bayern earlier this week. The Frenchman is currently out of job after a 22-year-long stint with Arsenal. Wenger reportedly wants to bow out of soccer with one final tenure at a top club. Zinedine Zidane is another manager who is reportedly under consideration at Bayern should they sack Kovac. The former French international is on a sabbatical right now after leaving Real Madrid in the summer.
Mark Van Bommel has also been loosely linked with Bayern Munich. The former Bayern midfielder is currently doing a fine job with PSV Eindhoven, as the Dutch side is at the top of Eredivisie. However, Van Bommel has distanced himself from Bayern links, preferring instead to focus on his duties in the Netherlands.
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The result against Benfica has surely provided Kovac a lifeline at Bayern. He will be hoping to use this performance as a springboard and go on a long winning run in the Bundesliga. Bayern cannot afford any more slip-ups in the league, as Dortmund already have a nine-point lead over them. The speculation around his future will be back as soon as Bayern suffer another defeat in the league.