Kicker: Bayern chief scout Schmadtke under pressure as criticism grows

📰 Kicker reports that Bayern chief scout Nils Schmadtke's position is under threat. 📌 Key points 🔍 Kicker says internal criticism of Schmadtke is growing at the club. 📅 He took the job in 2024 and is under contract until summer 2027. 🧭 Bayern are reportedly already sounding out successors internally and externally. 🛡️ Sporting director Max Eberl and president Herbert Hainer still want him to stay. ⏳ A decision is expected only once a convincing replacement is found. 📝 What happened 📰 Kicker reported on 5 October that criticism of the 37-year-old chief scout's work is becoming louder inside the club. A parting of ways is reportedly expected internally, though the timing is unclear. 🤝 Schmadtke has worked alongside Eberl since their days at Borussia Mönchengladbach. He took charge of Bayern's scouting department in 2024 and restructured it. 🗣️ In September Eberl defended him publicly: "Nils still has a year left on his contract, and to me he's one of the best scouts and squad planners in Germany." Hainer is also said to favour keeping him. 🔁 This is not a new story. In August, t-online, citing tz, reported that the club's leadership had doubts about Schmadtke's suitability for Bayern and that Manchester United's head of scouting Christopher Vivell was being discussed as a successor. 📊 By the numbers • Schmadtke is 37 • Became Bayern chief scout in 2024 • Contract runs until summer 2027 🔭 Why it matters The head of scouting lays the groundwork for every transfer window. Uncertainty at the top of the department, just as Bayern weigh up winter reinforcements, could affect their recruitment work. As a close Eberl ally, his situation is also a signal of the balance of power inside the club. Bayern resume their Bundesliga campaign away at Augsburg on 10 October.