Terrifying ordeal after transfer talks: Bayern chiefs survive crash landing | OneFootball

Hasan Salihamidzic and Marco Neppe survived a crash landing – after transfer talks about a possible new star.

Mortal fear after a secret meeting – and a transfer that never happened. In his new book “Transfer Insider,” BILD football chief Christian Falk describes a perilous episode from spring 2022 that almost cost Hasan Salihamidzic and Marco Neppe their lives.

The Bayern bosses were traveling from Madrid to Munich at the time – with a clear goal: they wanted to negotiate with agent Jorge Mendes about a possible successor to Robert Lewandowski.

At Mendes’ private estate in La Finca, the Munich officials met none other than João Felix. The Portuguese player was once considered a talent of the century, but never fully broke through at Atlético Madrid under coach Diego Simeone.

Felix himself is said to have shown great interest during the conversation, and a move to Munich was seriously considered. “The Bayern representatives said goodbye with the assurance that they would get back in touch,” the book states. Felix could have been used flexibly in attack – as a striker, second striker, or on the wing. Julian Nagelsmann, Bayern’s coach at the time, was open to such a deal.

Problems with the landing gear

But on the return flight, the mission took a dramatic turn. The Learjet that was supposed to bring Salihamidzic and Neppe back suddenly reported a problem with the landing gear. The pilot frantically leafed through the manual and shouted to the two: “Pray!” – pray! Suddenly, there was sheer panic on board.

“One of the two landing gear legs wouldn’t extend. With only one landing gear, the plane risked tipping over sideways and exploding upon impact,” Falk writes. Salihamidzic is said to have been so composed in the situation that he even called his wife to inform her of the danger.

On the ground, firefighters and rescue teams prepared for the worst. In the end, the Learjet landed hard on its belly – and remained intact. No fire, no injuries. “Yes!” Neppe is said to have shouted when it was clear they had survived.

The shock ran deep nonetheless: those responsible were aware that they had narrowly escaped disaster on this mission.

The transfer of João Felix never became a reality. The Bayern bosses decided that the overall financial package was not convincing enough. Instead, they signed Sadio Mané from Liverpool FC in the summer of 2022. Felix initially stayed in Madrid, before being loaned to Chelsea FC in January 2023 for a fee of eleven million euros.

The new book “Transfer Insider” by BILD football chief Christian Falk will be published on September 2 (riva Verlag, 22 euros).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.