Benjamin Weber laughs when reminded of Chelsea's 2021 Champions League victory.
"For sure, I told Mason to turn and to play the pass,"he says, referencing Mason Mount's assist for Kai Havertz's winning goal against Manchester City in that final.
Weber served as an analyst under Thomas Tuchel across three elite clubs: Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea. His time at Stamford Bridge remains the pinnacle of his career.
"To win that title was absolutely amazing. I don't want to make my part too small, nor too big,"he reflects.
Yet after tasting European glory at one of world football's biggest stages, Weber made an unconventional choice. Most would have followed Tuchel to Bayern Munich and pursued further silverware. Instead, the 43-year-old chose a different path entirely.
"When you are fighting for the Champions League and finally you win it, what else is there to come? You always need an objective,"Weber explains his reasoning. He departed Chelsea to become managing director of Paderborn, a move he describes as difficult to communicate to his former boss.
"I told Thomas. It was tough."
In summer 2025, Weber took on a new challenge as sporting director of Bundesliga side Augsburg, beginning his role in early July 2025 after two years in his previous position.
"I don't work just to work. I was curious enough to do something different,"he says of the move.
Augsburg may lack the continental prestige of his former employers, yet they represent a remarkable German success story. The club has now completed 16 consecutive seasons in the Bundesliga.
"And there are only five other teams who can say that."
Weber's debut season in 2024-25 proved particularly significant. Augsburg achieved their first top-half finish in a decade, a triumph made more striking by the decision to change managers mid-campaign—a bold and emotionally taxing call.
"It was very difficult,"Weber acknowledges.
"And emotional because I have been sat on the other side of the table. I know how it feels. It would be easy to hide but I am there to make decisions even if it is tough. We needed something different to get back on track."
Sandro Wagner, who had been appointed on a contract through 2028 in May 2025, departed after a poor start to the 2025-26 season. Manuel Baum, initially stepping in on a temporary basis while retaining his director of development role, took over and steadied the ship. The turnaround proved decisive.
"We had problems with results and performance but not development. In the end, we were ninth, after many changes last summer, and it worked out."
The decision to elevate Baum permanently reflected a shift in perspective.
"Plans can change,"Weber observes.
"He had an open mind. We did not know if it would work out and he would go back to his old role but in the end we all felt comfortable with this. It is human to change your perspective."Augsburg extended Baum's stay in May 2026 after he successfully navigated the difficult autumn period.
For Weber personally, the transition from elite European football to a mid-table Bundesliga operation has brought unexpected pressures and freedoms.
"On the one hand, there was a lot of pressure at the bigger clubs. On the other, for me personally, it was always Thomas. I could hide,"he admits.
His time at Paderborn offered a glimpse of this different reality.
"When you sign a player and you know that the club will only survive if it is the right player, that is pressure. When you lose your job at a small club, and you have a family, that is pressure."At Augsburg, his profile has risen considerably.
"There is more focus on me personally now. I was always a little bit the hidden guy in football. Now I came a little bit into the light. Not the biggest stage, I do not need that. But when we have success, I am part of it. And when we do not, I am also part of it."
Building a project through analysis and recruitment
Weber's analytical background offers a distinct advantage in recruitment.
"I did analysis my whole life. For sure, I can bring this into our recruitment so maybe this is an advantage. And I know how coaches think. Maybe that helps too."
Augsburg's recent signings reflect an intentional strategy around youth development. Rodrigo Ribeiro's loan from Sporting was converted to a permanent deal following a promising campaign. Hennes Behrens arrived from Hoffenheim, while Sima Suso joined from Fortuna Düsseldorf. All three are aged 21, positioning the club as a destination for emerging talent.
The WWK Arena attracts approximately 30,000 supporters per match—respectable by Bundesliga standards but modest compared to the continent's elite venues. Yet Weber sees stability as Augsburg's defining characteristic and competitive advantage.
"What is maybe unique is that we are stable,"he explains.
"Players love to come to Augsburg, this is a good first step. We want this unique selling point in the sense of developing players. We want to build more of a connection to the youth academy as well. This is what we want the club to stand for."
The ambition extends beyond mere survival.
"You need not to be crazy, but to dream a little bit, have a vision,"Weber says.
"In England, you will know the Sunderland story, the Brentford story, so many good stories."He envisions Augsburg following a similar trajectory in Germany—a club that builds systematically and competes above expectations.
"We need work ethic, character. With that, it can bring the best out in you and you can hunt to get to the top. We have to want to hunt together and be good hunters. Then we can maybe go step by step."
What comes next for Augsburg
Weber's focus now turns to sustaining Augsburg's upward momentum while managing the inevitable departures that come with a successful academy model. In July 2026, Weber confirmed that both Mert Kömür and Alexis Claude-Maurice had "big markets" but no concrete offers yet, suggesting the club faces decisions about which talents to retain and which to monetise.
For Weber, the journey from Stamford Bridge to the Fuggerstadt represents not a step down but a deliberate recalibration of his career.
"In the end, I have the feeling it was a good decision."
