FC Basel fired its chief scout at the beginning of February. The racism scandal on the FC Bayern campus may have played a role in the personnel. The Swiss club denies that.
At first glance, it was just a completely normal personality at FC Basel. In football, it’s easy for someone to fall off the merry-go-round. On February 8, the club’s chief scout, Max Legath, had to leave, and with him squad planner Philipp Kaufmann, as did coach Alex Frei before him. The club, one of the most popular and successful in Switzerland, is far behind its goals for the season and has also found itself in financial difficulties.
So far, so normal. But then the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) put Legath’s dismissal in a different context. Of a “old fire of Bayern Munich” wrote the paper on February 17th and then suggested that Legath’s dismissal could have taken place in connection with the racism affair at the German record champions’ youth academy, the FC Bayern Campus.
Max Legath the wanted mole?
In August 2020, the WDR magazine Sport inside reported about open racism and bullying by a youth coach on the FC Bayern campus. The case kept FC Bayern busy for months, and more and more details became known. The youth coach and other of his confidants were fired, and later the German Football Association banned him. In September 2021, the trainer received a penalty order from the Munich district court for 150 daily rates – 4,500 euros. Since then he has been convicted.
In the course of its internal investigation into the affair, FC Bayern was primarily looking for the mole who had brought the case to the public. The junior chief scout at the time, Max Legath, was also targeted. The accused youth coach and his lawyer wanted to have identified Legath as the one who sent chat logs to Sport inside passed on. In it, the youth coach, who was later dismissed, had openly racist agitated.
Chat histories shared internally only
However, Legath was never an informant for WDR. According to information from Sport inside he only forwarded the chat histories internally at FC Bayern to other coaches whom he asked for help. Apparently he had previously had arguments with the youth coach because of his attitude and behavior.
In addition, Legath had the impression that the club management ignored the problem. “Max is a guy with absolute integrity. He didn’t know what else to do”says a fellow coach from our Bayern days today. “All the more bitter that he is now being punished again for his backbone.”
Legath, who has been with the club for six and a half years, had to leave Bayern Munich in the summer of 2021. He has worked at FC Basel since January 2022 – and had already played there with open cards about his role in the racism affair before starting work. Legath have to “make a personal statement”confirms FC Basel when asked by Sport inside.
Sports director Vogel friends with punished youth coach
According to NZZ, Legath has now caught up with his past in Basel. The newspaper derives the case with reference to its research: Heiko Vogel has been the new sports director at FC Basel since January. Also interim coach since February 7th. Vogel worked at FC Bayern from 2013 to 2017 as a youth coordinator and coach for the U23s. He shared an office on campus with the youth coach who was at the center of the racism scandal. The two also studied together, reported the NZZ, and Vogel made no secret of their mutual friendship.
According to research by Sport inside tried in vain in the past to get the now hard-to-place youth coach back with a German club. It is rumored that Vogel is said to have mentioned his name several times at FC Basel when it came to adding staff for the youth sector. “No, he was never an issue and is not an issue at FC Basel”writes the club.
FC Basel denies connection with racism scandal
Basel also denies that Legath’s role in the racism affair at FC Bayern was decisive for the dismissal. Vogel forced the separation from Legath because he “Different ideas about the management of the scouting area” had nothing to do with the case on campus: “The situation, which is now being discussed again in the media, took place long after Heiko Vogel’s time at Bayern.”
Media director Remo Meister also told Sportschau that the club was very upset about being associated with a racism scandal, even if only indirectly, in view of the numerous publications in Switzerland. They had no idea of possible cross-connections and also fear for Vogel’s reputation. In fact, he was never suspected of thinking and acting in a similarly racist manner as the convicted youth coach.
FC Basel also refers to a quote that Legath had spread about the club before the NZZ reported. at the separation “Topics from the past definitely played no role”, Legath had it pointed out. In the meantime, and this is also known in Basel, Legath no longer stands by this quote. Because instead of a separation on good terms, lawyers now have the floor, a labor law dispute is looming, in which the racism scandal is likely to play a role again.
Praise for Max Legath in December
Legath is said to have tried to talk to Vogel about the old story on campus as soon as he took up his post, according to information from Basel. He knew that the punished youth coach saw him as the informer who was responsible for his expulsion. Legath already feared that Vogel’s ties to the main suspect could harm him.
On February 8, Legath was handed the termination papers in Vogel’s presence. Almost two months after Basel’s club president David Degen publicly acknowledged his at a press conference “Excellent work” had promised, Legath was relieved of all duties ad hoc and had to leave the house within a very short time. that be “common in sports departments in top football”writes FC Basel, it is about IT access, discretion and confidentiality.
Legath’s successor is now Patrick Dippel – also an old acquaintance of Vogel from their days together at FC Bayern.