Speaking on ZDF's sports studio on Saturday, Eberl gave the most detailed account yet of the process that brought Kompany to the Allianz Arena, just weeks after the Belgian had been relegated from the Premier League with Burnley.
"It's no secret that Julian Nagelsmann was a possibility, that we spoke with Ralf Rangnick, that we spoke with Oliver Glasner. Some also wanted Hansi Flick back. We don't need to beat around the bush about that."
"As I said before: Vincent Kompany was indeed already on our list. But to be honest — and I am being completely open about this — I didn't dare propose Vincent Kompany first. Instead, we first approached top coaches with name and fame."
The scepticism extended to the boardroom. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, one of the greatest players in the club's history and a supervisory board member, was unconvinced. It was Eberl who suggested the decisive step.
"When the question came up whether we were really sure, I said to Kalle: 'You're so close to Pep, aren't you? Call him and ask what he thinks of Kompany.' That was the breakthrough."
Rummenigge subsequently spoke to Guardiola for almost two hours. "To cut a long story short, he said he was one hundred percent convinced that Vincent Kompany was absolutely the right coach for Bayern. So I thought: if Guardiola gives him such an endorsement, everything will be fine."
Guardiola managed Kompany for three years at Manchester City, winning six trophies together. He had spent three years at Bayern himself between 2013 and 2016, winning three Bundesliga titles and the DFB-Pokal twice.
Eberl reflected on what followed. "Now, 20 months later, you have to say it's a stroke of luck for Bayern. I couldn't have imagined how things would turn out."
Bayern are on course for a treble this season — Bundesliga champions, DFB-Pokal finalists, Champions League semi-finalists against Paris Saint-Germain.