“FC Bayern is a very, very exciting and impressive club. The way the club is structured, being so approachable despite its size, is unique in the world. The annual general meeting and the members’ regular meeting the evening before were completely new experiences for me. The way the members live this club is something very special. It was an intense three months. The conclusion is entirely positive, it’s fun – and I’m glad that after 17 years I took the step out of Salzburg and into the big world of football.”

Freund on how he perceived Bayern as a kid: “I was a big fan of FC Tirol: Hansi Müller and Bruno Pezzey, they were my heroes. Bayern Munich, on the other hand, was the big world for me, pretty far away from Austrian football. As an eleven-year-old, I was with my dad at the Olympiastadion for the UEFA Cup semi-final against Napoli. I can still remember Diego Maradona warming up, juggling the ball to “Live Is Life”. Those were formative experiences.”

What are you bringing with you to FC Bayern from Salzburg?

Freund: “Maybe a bit different approach because I come from a different structure. When Red Bull got involved in Salzburg, it was said that they now simply have the most money and are buying their way to success with many older players. But we rebuilt the club. Today the club stands for a clear direction. This is also very important to me now: Wherever it says Bayern Munich, Bayern Munich must be there. I’m also bringing with me good football know-how and the network that I have developed over the past 17 years.”

Freund on the FC Bayern Campus compared to Salzburg: “Of course, the campus should continue to develop talent for our first team in the future, but that will never be as extreme as in Salzburg because we have different goals here. It has to be right for FC Bayern - and at the same time the talents have to know that they will receive such good training with us that there is a high probability that they will make the transition to professional football. The connection between the campus and Säbener Straße is a very important factor. This applies not only to the talents, but also to the coaches, fitness trainers and physios. We want to manage the balancing act of being internationally successful and at the same time doing good youth work. I have already worked with campus director Jochen Sauer in Salzburg. We appreciate each other very much and have the same views, which is a big advantage.”

What factors do you need to turn a player into an FC Bayern player?

Freund: “We are talking about the highest level here, so of course you need the footballing qualities such as technique and tactical understanding. But the mentality is crucial. You have to trust yourself to deliver again and again at the highest level. It’s important to work with young players on what it means to deal with pressure."

Freund on the role of mentality in scouting players: “It is absolutely crucial in our assessment of players. We collect a lot of impressions from the players outside the football pitch. How does he deal with fellow players, how does he behave in certain situations – we talk about that with many of his companions. You have to be made to give everything to get to the top and stay at the top. There are plenty of examples of players who were hugely talented but still took a different path.”

Freund: “There have to be different types of players in a team, and everyone has individual strengths in management. The more different the types of players, the broader the range of services that can be represented. The important thing is that you always find common ground between them”

There was a deep turning point in your life: When you were 24, you suddenly had to take over the family carpentry business after your father passed away. How did you manage everything, besides football?

Freund: “I stopped playing professionally and continued playing in the third division. I was a total career changer and only managed it because my father had formed a really good, well-coordinated team in the company. Back then I learned what was possible when we stand together in a difficult situation and support each other. For me personally, it was the greatest success of my life that I, together with the employees, managed to keep things going. The carpentry shop still exists today, it is one of the largest carpentry shops in Salzburg, and I go there every time I’m home. It was a very difficult time emotionally because I always had a close relationship with my father, but in retrospect I also gained a lot from this phase for my life."

Freund: “Until then, as a young footballer in the second division, I had a relaxed life, no worries, no responsibilities. And then the ground is ripped out from under your feet. I remember being in the company for the first time after the funeral on Monday morning. The employees stood in the workshop, nobody knew what would happen next. People had existential fears. Then I spoke up and said that I would stay there from now on and that we would do it together. And at that moment I realized: No matter what happens in my life now, nothing will get me off track”

Freund: “Regardless of whether it’s in crafts or football, it’s always about people. If you engage with your counterpart and are interested in them, you build a completely different foundation and get much more in return. Everyone has their own issues that are important to them. The more you know about each other, the better you can respond to each other.”

Freund: “I learned that things keep going, no matter how bad things seem to be at the moment. Even if nothing is as it once was. It’s part of grieving and despair at times. But then your head has to be up again and you have to look forward.”