Rummenigge after the Champions League exit: "If I could give FC Bayern some advice..."

Created: 04/14/2022, 13:09

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge reacts to FC Bayern's elimination from the Champions League – the ex-boss explains what needs to be improved.

Munich – No, claims Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the elimination from the Champions League is definitely not due to the team.

In the squad of FC Bayern Munich* there are "18 players who are expected to take part in the World Cup," argues the former club boss, and that's why he emphasized in the

: "The elimination is not due to the quality of the squad."

However, Rummenigge could not or did not want to explain exactly why the German soccer record champion was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

If it's not due to the quality of the squad, the only reason left is Julian Nagelsmann, who as a coach doesn't make enough of the quality.

Rummenigge's advice to Bayern Munich

"If I could give FC Bayern one piece of advice," added Rummenigge, "it would be that everyone in the club limit themselves to their skills." Things like contract extensions "are a matter for the board of directors and the supervisory board".

It is also unclear here what or who exactly he means.

FC Bayern: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge speaks up after the Champions League elimination © Frank Hoermann / SVEN SIMON via www.imago-images.de

Rummenigge retired before this season, handing over his post to Oliver Kahn.

But the squad, which he now certifies to be of sufficient quality, was put together by the long-time club boss, with Hasan Salihamidzic as the executive body to be precise.

No wonder Rummenigge considers him fit.

President Herbert Hainer now expects a defiant reaction from precisely this cadre.

"I am convinced," he said to

, "that even our ambitious players will not let such an end sit on them.

That will spur them on for the upcoming Champions League season.

They want more, they want to make history here.”

FC Bayern: How does the team look next season?

The team in the coming season will of course look a little different than the current one: Niklas Süle and Corentin Tolisso will leave, the future of followers like Bouna Sarr, Marc Roca or Omar Richards is unclear.

And then there's the question: will Robert Lewandowski actually still be there next season?

Rummenigge apparently sees such background noises as a detail in the search for the reasons for the failure.

"The impression was created that only contract talks were taking place all the time." However, this was "not helpful in such a phase of the season", it should not be that "the climate" was permanently disturbed.

Rummenigge explicitly includes the club in his criticism.

FC Bayern: Hainer expresses his confidence in Kahn and Salihamidzic

In the meantime, Hainer expressed his confidence in Kahn and Salihamidzic, who had come under criticism for their personnel and club policies: “Both are aware of their responsibility and live up to it.

They know how this club ticks, what matters here, that's their DNA." Both would now think: "Now even more so."

If Bayern win their tenth championship title in a row, it would be "a historic achievement in one of the top 5 leagues" in Europe for Hainer: "We can be very proud of that," he said, emphasizing: "And next season we will too attack with all our might again in the Champions League.”