Bayern names Dante U23 coach

FC Bayern Munich appointed former defender Dante as head coach of its U23 side on Tuesday, returning the Brazilian to the club where he was part of the 2013 treble-winning team. The club announced the move through its FC Bayern Campus channels and listed the coaching changes for its youth setup on its website. Dante takes over Bayern’s second team after Holger Seitz, who had remained in charge of the Amateure through the 2025-26 season, was replaced ahead of the new campaign. The appointment gives the 42-year-old his first senior head-coaching role immediately after the end of his playing career. ### Why has Bayern turned to Dante for the U23 job? Jochen Sauer, Bayern’s director of youth development, said the club was persuaded by Dante’s background and approach in talks over the role. Sport1, citing Bayern’s first statements, quoted Sauer as saying Dante had “experienced almost everything there is to experience in football” and had remained an example of attitude and professionalism even at 42 in Nice. (foot-africa.com) Michael Wiesinger, Bayern’s head of sport and youth development, said the club believed young players at the Campus would benefit from Dante’s experience as a professional, according to the same report. Foot Africa, which embedded Bayern’s announcement from the FC Bayern Campus account, said the club presented Dante as a figure to help develop academy players and prepare them for higher levels. (sport1.de) ### What is Dante returning to at Bayern? Bayern’s Campus coaching overview from June 18, 2025 said Holger Seitz had been due to remain head coach of the Amateure for the 2025-26 season. The Campus page also identifies the Amateure as Bayern’s Regionalliga Bayern side, placing Dante in charge of the club’s U23 pathway between youth football and the first team. (sport1.de) The FC Bayern Campus announcement on social media said Dante would become head coach of the FCB Amateure “for the coming season.” That wording indicates the move is part of Bayern’s broader reshaping of its academy coaching staff, which has included other appointments across the U17, U19 and U16 levels. (fcbayern.com) ### What does Dante bring from his playing career? Dante played for Bayern from 2012 to 2015 and won the Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup in 2013. Sport1 said he made 754 professional appearances in his career and earned 13 caps for Brazil. Foot Africa also described him as a senior figure during a long spell at Nice, where he spent nearly a decade before finishing his playing career last week. (foot-africa.com) Bayern’s official Dante tag page and a club video published in October 2024 showed the club had continued to feature him as a former player long after his departure. That existing connection helps explain why Bayern framed the move as a return to Munich rather than an outside hire. ### Who will work with him on the staff? Babak Keyhanfar will join Dante as an assistant, Sport1 reported, adding that he had previously worked as an assistant to Bo Svensson at FC Liefering, Mainz 05 and Union Berlin. (sport1.de) Christian Ströbel will complete the coaching team, according to the same report. Goal had previously reported in May that Keyhanfar was expected to become assistant to Bayern’s new U23 coach, matching the staffing now described after Dante’s appointment. (fcbayern.com) ### What happens next at the Campus? Tuesday’s appointment places Dante in charge of Bayern’s U23 side for the start of the 2026-27 cycle at the Campus. (sport1.de) The next public marker is Bayern’s rollout of preseason work and squad planning for the Amateure, with Dante and his staff now responsible for preparing players in the Regionalliga Bayern and feeding prospects toward the senior setup. (foot-africa.com) (goal.com)