Pesic at Bayern basketball: The architect is tired

There have been rumors about Marko Pesic's future for some time, and recently it was whispered that the managing director of FC Bayern Basketball is headed to the Orient. Specifically, to Dubai, where a test-tube team born with a lot of money is setting out to shake up European basketball. So, it was clear that there was something strategically important to announce when the club's management called a press conference. The presence of President Herbert Hainer, who, despite a broken fibula, hobbled onto the gallery with crutches to announce the departure of his most important employee in the basketball division, was also an indication: "Marko approached me and explained that after 15 intensive years, he wanted more time for his family and himself." And after equally intensive discussions, Hainer understood and accepted this request: "Marko Pesic will step down as managing director of the basketball team."

But not immediately and not entirely, the FCB president quickly added. Pesic will train his two successors by the end of the calendar year and will then remain available to the club in an advisory capacity. His legacy will be shared between four shoulders: Sporting Director Dragan Tarlac, 51, will take over the sporting side, and Adrian Sarmiento, 38, the commercial side. Hainer, in consultation with Pesic, agreed on an internal solution. Tarlac joined FCB a year ago and, as a former world champion, NBA player, and most recently manager of the Serbian national team, brings with him a wealth of expertise. Sarmiento grew up at the club, was a player, coach, and, under Pesic's leadership, helped shape the basketball team's rise. Most recently, he served as chief strategist in corporate development.

A move to the Middle East, Pesic explained, was like something out of a thousand and one nights: "Why should I work for any other club when I'm at FC Bayern? I owe a lot to this club, and I've grown here as an official and as a person." He had received a continuing and financially lucrative contract from Hainer for his contract, which expires in the summer, but after "the challenges of the past 15 years, I lack the strength to continue the job 100 percent, physically and mentally." And that is his ambition: "This job means being there 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thinking about how we can further develop FC Bayern. But I gave Mr. Hainer my word that I will always be there when my help is needed, just no longer in this capacity. And he can rely on my word."

There's still a lot to do before the end of the year, the new squad planning is pending, and ultimately, the German championship title still needs to be won. Hainer isn't happy about missing out on the Euroleague playoffs, after "we already messed up the cup," as he clearly put it. Pesic will therefore remain at the forefront until the end of the season, and Hainer has the highest praise for his status: "Marko Pesic is FC Bayern Basketball , he's the architect and has built one of the best-organized clubs in Europe today." And the development is far from over, and the goals will by no means be scaled back: "We want to be at the top in Germany and reach the absolute top in Europe."

To understand the Pesic personality, it's worth looking back at its roots. In 2011, FC Bayern Munich decided to set up a second professional division alongside its football department. A member survey and years of persuasion by then-vice president Bernd Rauch gave the basketball team, who were languishing in the 2nd Bundesliga at the time, the green light. "If we do this, then we'll do it properly," Uli Hoeneß left no doubt that he was serious about the Munich basketball team. And basketball enthusiast Hoeneß quickly showed how much the project meant to him: Steffen Hamann and Demond Greene, two international players, along with national coach Dirk Bauermann, were brought in to help with the promotion. The result is well known: FC Bayern Munich is the benchmark in the Basketball Bundesliga ( BBL ) and has managed to catch up with the top internationally.

However, a novice was installed as sporting director who was not (yet) among the best: Marko Pesic. The former national player had made a name for himself as an active player, winning European Championship silver and World Cup bronze, and then gained his first professional experience as co-owner of a players' agency. As a sporting director, he was unblemished – and from then on, he was responsible for the prosperous professional department of one of the world's most famous sports clubs. "I was also lucky to be given such an opportunity as a 34-year-old nobody." And Hoeneß had once again proven his knack for it, as the nobody quickly acclimatized to the world of management – ​​and developed the so-called Bayern gene at record speed. Pesic operated entirely according to Hoeneß's motto: "Smart, but tough if necessary." When necessary, he would, like his mentor, stand up for club and team in a combative manner.

During these 15 intensive years, Pesic matured into one of the most successful basketball managers, who, with his excellent network, steadily led his department to the top and developed the basketball team into one of the most recognized brands in the world. His father, Svetislav, a legendary coach and 1993 European Championship winner with Germany, also helped, bringing the first BBL title to Munich under his son. And Pesic achieved all of this without any cross-financing from the football players – a fundamental prerequisite of the basketball project.

Pesic naturally sees the four German championship titles and four German cup wins as the highlights of his career, because "these are measurable figures" that also carry public significance. However, two particularly significant challenges have been particularly influential in his sporting and personal development, he summarized: "When Uli Hoeneß was unavailable; and the pandemic." Because both after the completion of the project mentor's prison sentence and the largely paralyzed game operations, "we found a way to emerge stronger."

All of this had brought him to the brink of his limits and to a simple idea. When asked what he planned to do after December 31st, Pesic said: "Nothing, absolutely nothing."