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BAYERN FAMILY February 2025
The Wohlfahrts were often our guests at home later. I was always like a father to my players. I demand a lot, but if there‘ s a problem I‘ m the first to help. If a player calls me at two o‘ clock in the morning with a problem, I don‘ t ask“ how and why?“, but rather:“ Where are you?“ You were often criticised for your aggressive transfer behaviour at the beginning of your managerial career. Did that actually leave you unscathed? I never wanted to be everybody‘ s darling. I used my elbows and wanted to take FC Bayern to the top at all costs. I was committed to it 100 per cent. I also explored new avenues. Not everyone liked that. But I always behaved correctly, even when I pushed the boundaries permitted by the laws of football, of course. Do you know what kind of business I like best? The kind where there are only winners. I don‘ t like it when I leave the negotiating table feeling the other side has lost. Let‘ s take a closer look at the transfers. What were the craziest negotiations you ever conducted? There was the time we signed Roque Santa Cruz in Paraguay, for example. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and I were sitting in the club president‘ s living room with about 25 other people. He was drenched in sweat and kept walking out. We’ d offered ten million Deutschmarks, but he wanted dollars. We were already outside waiting for a taxi when he brought us back in. We finally came to an agreement, and suddenly there were 30 or 40 journalists with cameras in the living room. It was bedlam, unbelievable. Then there was Adolfo Valencia. The negotiations began in Madrid and ended at my home. After 24 hours in Madrid, we absolutely had to get back to Munich, so our negotiating partners said:“ We‘ ll come with you!“ Five or six men then sat around my house for three days until we reached an agreement. Santa Cruz even moved in with you for a short time. It was always the case that if a player couldn‘ t find an apartment straight away, I would always try to put them up with me or with family friends. I wanted the players to feel at home. Roque was a young guy, all by himself in a foreign country. We weren‘ t so well-organised back then; we didn‘ t have two or three people who spoke the language and could look after him 24 hours a day. Which transfers didn‘ t work out? The Ruud Gullit case was completely bonkers. First, I flew to Milan with Franz Beckenbauer. When we arrived at his flat at half past nine in the morning, no-one was awake – apart from the butler. He had a butler! He showed us into the lounge and we had some coffee. We eventually settled the transfer details and he travelled to Munich for his medical. Everything was still fine at that point. That evening we had dinner together and he spent the night at my place. Everything was still fine then too. The next morning he said he‘ d have to go to Milan to talk to his wife – and that evening he cancelled. To this day, I still don‘ t know exactly why. Rabah Madjer‘ s transfer also came to nothing. I flew all the way to Lisbon so I wouldn‘ t be seen in Porto and drove 300 kilometres through all these villages. I almost ran over a chicken; a goat ran into my car. We secretly negotiated at the home of a friend of his, and everything was settled. But then there was a huge to-do regarding Porto‘ s transfer fee demand of at least 800,000 dollars. In the end, I was actually glad I didn‘ t have to sign him. And another funny transfer story just occurred to me … Please go on. When we wanted Emil Kostadinov from La Coruña, the club boss Augusto Lendoiro said to Karl-Heinz and me after we landed:“ We‘ ll meet for dinner tonight – at half past 11!“ That meant we couldn‘ t return home. We didn‘ t even have toothbrushes or anything! He didn‘ t arrive until half past midnight and we sat up together until three. I‘ ll never forget it: We ate percebes mussels … they squirt when you open them. The state of my shirt … and we couldn‘ t even buy new shirts because the next day was a Sunday. So that‘ s how we looked on the plane. What have been milestones in terms of personnel decisions? Rummenigge to Inter Milan, signing Lothar Matthäus a second time, bringing in Pep Guardiola? Sören Lerby was another important transfer. He had a release clause of two million Deutschmarks at Ajax. It was an incredible story. Coach Pal Csernai wanted to watch him again before signing him, so we flew to a cup match. But Sören hardly saw the ball over the 90 minutes. When we were waiting for him in a pub afterwards, Csernai suddenly said:“ I don‘ t want the player any more after this match!“ We were in the middle of the discussion when Sören turned up. No decision had been made, but Willi O. Hoffmann jumped to his feet, saying:“ Mr Lerby, I‘ m delighted to welcome you as our new FC Bayern player!“ I almost fell off my chair and Csernai screwed up his face. But it turned out to be a great transfer. There are so many: Oliver Kahn, Manuel Neuer … the list is almost endless. And I remember Roy Makaay‘ s transfer well. It was a reunion with our friend Lendoiro, in Madrid at half past one in the morning. But we were better prepared that time and had everything we needed to stay overnight. Are there actually still visionaries today like you used to be, or is the scope for visions too narrow these days? They would exist, if you gave them some time. But in our fast-paced world, all it takes is three mistakes and you‘ re killed off. I think people are given the push far too quickly. As soon as someone messes up, everyone condemns them straight away, saying:“ He‘ s got to go!“ But everyone should admit mistakes to themselves. Everyone
54 FC Bayern Magazine