Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn addresses contract dealings with Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Müller, Manuel Neuer

Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn sat down with Sport1 for an interview and detailed where things stand with his star triumvirate of Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Müller, and Manuel Neuer.

“As of today, Robert has a contract with us for next season. We are in contact with Robert and want him to stay at Bayern for as long as possible. Apparently, some then believe that it is during such talks and contract negotiations as in the online manager game, where I click on something and he then extends his contract,” said Kahn. “You also have to look at the situation of the players. Players who have performed well at this club for many years are outstanding. Robert became world footballer with us. Robert is a player who has the potential to score 30, 40 goals every year. Of course, at some point players like this get the idea: I’ve achieved everything here and won everything. Then it takes time to convince him to stay here.”

Kahn also stated that the rumored back-and-forth between Lewandowski’s camp and the club is not bad for business.

“I don’t see that at all. That was always the case at Bayern Munich. Such a discussion can also create a bit of friction in the team, which doesn’t have to be that bad. A bit of squabbling and unrest isn’t all that bad for the working atmosphere. But the players are far too professional to be impressed. The players get along with it without any problems,” Kahn said.

Kahn thinks Lewandowski’s identity has become tied to Bayern Munich and that should mean something as both parties move forward.

“Let’s look at the examples of players who changed clubs. What do we identify Ronaldo with? For his time at Real Madrid. What do we identify Messi for? For his time at Barcelona. It’s the same with Robert. And by the way, such conversations also deal with financial matters. We all know that we have two very difficult years behind us. As a club, you have to think about how you can still manage all of this in the current situation. Because FC Bayern has also suffered from these last two years,” Kahn said.

As Müller and Neuer, Kahn said the time will come for everything to be settled and that the club is aware how important they are.

“We decide when FC Bayern will start contract talks. We know very well what we owe to these players. It’s also about having a respectful exchange with the players. We don’t let anyone put us under pressure. With Müller, I’m very confident that we’ll be able to say something in the short term. We also have a very good exchange with Manuel. We’re definitely not going to let ourselves be put under any pressure when it comes to making these pivotal important decisions,” Kahn remarked.