Bundesliga recruitment

Candidacy at 1. FC Köln

Reporting from Kicker on March 10, 2026, listed Markus Pilawa as a primary candidate to lead the squad planning and transfer strategy for 1. FC Köln. The club is currently evaluating leadership options to steer its recruitment, with the report indicating that Steidten is also a candidate for the position. The current internal drive to finalize these appointments is high, as Steidten reportedly intends to begin operations promptly.

The potential move to Köln represents a shift in environment for Pilawa, who previously operated at the highest tier of the Bundesliga with FC Bayern Munich. The role of Head of Squad Planning and Transfer Strategy would place him at the center of Köln’s attempts to stabilize its roster and implement a more sustainable recruitment model.

The Exit from FC Bayern Munich

Pilawa’s candidacy at Köln follows a tumultuous end to his tenure at FC Bayern Munich. He was appointed as the head of the scouting department in September 2022, having been recruited from Borussia Dortmund. However, his time with the Bavarian giants ended in September 2024, when the club and Pilawa agreed to terminate their collaboration.

The departure was not without criticism. Reporting from Kicker indicated that the club’s leadership identified a mismatch of costs and benefits regarding the 47-year-old’s work. While Pilawa brought a high profile to the scouting department, the internal assessment suggested that the output did not justify the expenditure associated with his role.

We thank Markus Pilawa very much for two years of good cooperation.

FC Bayern Munich, official statement

Scouting Shift and the Schmadtke Era

Following Pilawa’s departure, FC Bayern Munich moved quickly to restructure its scouting apparatus. On October 1, 2024, the club officially appointed Nils Schmadtke as the new chief of the scouting department. Schmadtke, the 35-year-old son of former Bundesliga manager Jörg Schmadtke, was brought in to modernize the club’s talent identification process.

Sporting Director Christoph Freund emphasized that Schmadtke would be essential in identifying potential players as early as possible and ensuring a tight integration with the FC Bayern Campus. This shift marked a departure from the approach used during Pilawa’s tenure, focusing more on early-stage talent and internal synergy.

Schmadtke’s appointment was viewed as a strategic alignment with Sport Board member Max Eberl, who had previously worked with Schmadtke during their time at Borussia Mönchengladbach. The transition was finalized after the club determined that the previous constellation for both sides did not fit 100 percent.

Recruitment Outlook for Köln

For 1. FC Köln, the pursuit of a figure like Pilawa suggests a desire for experience in high-pressure, elite-level scouting. Despite the criticisms leveled at him during his final months in Munich, Pilawa’s history with Borussia Dortmund and his two years at the top of the German game provide a blueprint for managing large-scale transfer budgets and international scouting networks.

The competition for the role, specifically between Pilawa and the ex-Leverkusen candidate Steidten, highlights two different philosophies. Steidten represents a more modern, data-driven approach associated with the recent success of Bayer Leverkusen, while Pilawa brings the traditional prestige and network of the Bayern and Dortmund systems.

If appointed, Pilawa will be tasked with creating a transfer strategy that avoids the cost-benefit imbalances that plagued his final period at Bayern. Köln’s objective is to build a squad that is competitive without overextending its financial resources, a challenge that will test Pilawa’s ability to adapt his scouting methods to a club with a different financial profile than the record champions.