Rumor: Is this Bayern’s next Sport Director?

The sporting director position at FC Bayern Munich has been vacant for more than a year. Recently, Uli Hoeness announced that the replacement for Matthias Sammer would be announced by the beginning of September. Now, Eurosport is claiming that it could be former player, 2001 Champions League winner, and still fan favorite, Hasan Salihamidzic.

The Bosnian may not have actual job experience, but he checks almost all the other boxes:

Former Bayern player? Check! Brazzo, as he is affectionately known, played for the club from 1998 to 2007, playing in 234 Bundesliga games, as well as 88 international matches, for the Reds.

Proven winner? Check! The 42-time Bosnian national team player was an integral part of Bayern’s 2001 Champions League winning team, in addition to winning the Bundesliga title six times, and hoisting the DFB Pokal four times.

Popular with the supporters? Check! The former midfielder, who still lives in Munich, was known for his tireless play, sunny disposition, and willingness to put the team first, making him incredibly popular among the fans, despite a lot of big names that played alongside him during his time in Munich.

Multiple languages? Check! Other than being fluent in Bosnian and German, Salihamidzic also speaks English, and, from his four years at Juventus, also picked up some Italian.

Good relationship with players? Check! Salihamidzic commands a lot of respect from the current players, and, through his team ambassador work for the club — he was on the Audi Summer Tour 2017 in Asia — still has a lot of direct contact with the team.

Good relationship with management? Check! Uli Hoeness considers the Bosnian his friend, and the president and club chairman Karl Heinz Rummenigge have gone to great lengths to keep their former player involved in the club. Hasan also has close ties to new assistant coach, Willy Sagnol, who he played with for many years.

So, is this just a wild rumor, or has Uli Hoeness found his man to finally fill the SD vacancy? Stay tuned, because September is right around the corner.