FC Bayern have agreed to a request from reserve team coach Martín Demichelis to move to his boyhood club River Plate in Buenos Aires, where he'll take over as head coach. His successor will be his predecessor Holger Seitz. The 48-year-old coach has been working in the German record champions' youth setup since 2015 and most recently held the position of sporting director at the Campus.
FC Bayern board member for sport Hasan Salihamidžić: “Martín has received an offer to take over as head coach at one of the biggest clubs in South America. We did not want to deny him this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and have agreed to his wish to terminate his contract. Nevertheless, I am sad to see him leave. I played with Martín for FC Bayern, he’s an honest character and has a clear idea of the type of football he wants as coach. We’re also required to develop coaches at the Campus. Martín has done very well at FC Bayern and we wish him every success in his return to River Plate.”
Head of the FC Bayern Campus Jochen Sauer: “Holger Seitz has been working at the Campus for many years. He helped shape and implement our training philosophy. He knows exactly what our reserve team is all about. With him, we want to achieve continuity in the coaching position and are delighted he's made himself available for this important job again. We thank Martín for his services at the Campus and wish him all the best in his new role at River Plate.”
For Seitz, it will already be his third term with the reserves, with whom he celebrated promotion to the third tier in the 2018/19 season. Following the departure of his successor Sebastian Hoeneß to TSG Hoffenheim, the Simbach native took over as interim coach in 2020/21 before handing over to the duo of Danny Schwarz and Martín Demichelis in the spring of 2021. He is now expected to take on the sporting responsibilities of the team on a long-term basis.
Seitz: ‘A labour of love’
“I've been involved with our reserves both as a player and as a coach,” said Seitz. “This team is a an absolute labour of love for me. That's why I'm very excited about returning to the post of coach, about working with this team in training every day and about the games. I want to work here on a long-term basis and help get our many talents closer to turning professional.”
Demichelis will be saying “Servus” to FC Bayern for the second time. As a player, the Argentine turned out for the German record champions from 2003 to 2011, and he started his first coaching job in Munich in the summer of 2019 with the U19s. In spring 2021, “Micho” initially took over the U21s together with Danny Schwarz. Since the 21/22 season, the 41-year-old has been solely responsible for coaching the reserves and took them to a runners-up spot in the Bavarian Regionalliga. His team are currently fifth in the table.
Demichelis: ‘A lot of gratitude in my heart’
“I came to Europe and FC Bayern as a player from River, and now I'm heading back the other way as a coach,” commented Demichelis. “What an incredible story! I'm proud to have been part of the FC Bayern family twice and would like to thank everyone who made it possible for me and who accompanied me. I leave this club with a lot of gratitude in my heart and am now looking forward to the big challenge at the second club that's close to my heart.”
Martín Demichelis' farewell interview:
Demichelis features in the FC Bayern Campus Stories, the series about the German record champions' academy which you can watch now: