Bayern Munich Reshapes Scouting Structure After Schmadtke Exit

Bayern Munich are preparing to remodel the club’s entire scouting structure – and the first move is coming from inside the house.

Christoph Kresse, chief scout since the spring, is set to step into the role vacated by head of scouting Nils Schmadtke, at least on an interim basis, as the German champions rethink how they identify talent from academy level to the first team. According to kicker, Kresse will effectively inherit Schmadtke’s responsibilities while the club finalises a broader plan for the department.

The decision follows Bayern’s announcement at the start of November that they had parted company with Schmadtke “by mutual agreement following talks based on trust”. The wording was polite; the separation was anything but unexpected. Internally, his leadership style had come under sustained criticism, and the mood around the department had cooled long before the official statement.

Schmadtke’s contract runs until 31 January 2027, after which he will leave the club. It had originally been set to run through to the summer of 2027, another indication of how decisively Bayern chose to cut the cord.

His departure also breaks up one of the more notable alliances in the club’s sporting hierarchy. In Munich, Schmadtke was regarded as a close confidant of board member for sport Max Eberl, a relationship forged during their time together at Borussia Mönchengladbach. That connection helped shape Bayern’s scouting blueprint when he arrived, but it did not prove strong enough to shield him once doubts about his leadership took hold.

As head of scouting, Schmadtke oversaw the full spectrum of player identification, from the senior squad down to the youth ranks. That broad remit is now under review. Bayern are considering centralising their scouting operation at the campus on Säbener Straße, according to kicker, a move that could make a traditional, singular department head redundant in the long term. The structure, not just the personnel, is on the table.

One name had repeatedly surfaced as a possible successor from outside: Christopher Vivell. The Manchester United chief scout, and a long-time ally of Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund from their days at RB Salzburg, seemed an obvious candidate when Schmadtke’s exit became public.

That trail has gone cold.

The report states that Vivell is no longer being considered in Munich. The reasoning is as political as it is practical. Bayern already have a strong Red Bull imprint in their sporting department: Freund, Jochen Sauer, Richard Kitzbichler and Bernhard Seonbuchner all arrived with RB experience. Club leaders now appear wary of tilting the balance any further in that direction by adding another senior figure with the same background.

So the solution, at least for now, is continuity from within rather than another external reshuffle. Kresse steps up, the campus model gains traction, and Bayern’s recruitment arm edges toward a leaner, more centralised design.

For a club that prides itself on being ahead of the curve in squad planning, the next permanent move in this department will say plenty about how Bayern intend to hunt for the stars of their next era – and who they trust to find them.