Uli Hoeneß is currently proving once again who is still in charge at FC Bayern. Oliver Kahn apparently didn't want to admit it.
Munich – If there were ever any real doubts about who was pulling the strings at FC Bayern, they have now been dispelled. At the latest with the double dismissal of board boss Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic immediately after winning the championship. After months that reminded us of the best – or worst – times of FC Hollywood.
The driving force behind the sensational dismissal was Uli Hoeneß. Club patron. Honorary President. And actually, since his voluntary departure from the FCB throne in 2019, he has officially only been a simple member of the supervisory board. The fact that it was difficult for the 71-year-old to step back into the second row and hand over his life project into the hands of strangers should come as no surprise to anyone. Rather, with what vehemence he now returns.
Hoeneß follows up against Kahn: At FC Bayern, the honorary president sets the direction
Instead of his successor as president, Herbert Hainer, or the new chairman of the board, Jan-Christian Dreesen, it is once again Hoeneß who is publicly setting the direction on Säbener Straße. Openly names what went wrong. And dictates how FC Bayern should present itself in the future. The powerful man from Tegernsee also provided clear text of the Hoeneß brand in an interview in the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Kahn in particular should probably memorize the statements there in detail in order to be able to get a foot in the door again in the future after his highly inglorious farewell to his heart club. Above all, Hoeneß criticized the lack of communication from the titan, who apparently wanted to help FC Bayern emancipate itself from the father as quickly as possible.
But this apparently did not coincide with Hoeneß' plans for the future. So the native of Ulm got upset in the interview: "I recently checked: Oliver called me maybe five times in all that time." Clearly too rare, as the ex-keeper now knows.
One was the boss of the board, the other pulls the strings at FC Bayern: Oliver Kahn (right) and Uli Hoeneß watch a game together at the Allianz Arena. (Archive image) © IMAGO / Sammy Minkoff
Hoeneß wanted more Kahn phone calls: Rummenigge was also hardly contacted by the Titan
And Hoeneß was therefore not the only one who felt left behind: Even his long-time partner Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who had vacated his chair for Kahn, had rarely been contacted. The second decision-maker, who has proven himself for decades, is also making his comeback in the wake of the big chair move – at least for the time being as a simple supervisory board.
Most recently, Hoeneß had already complained that Kahn had surrounded himself with what he considered to be the wrong people. "The big disappointment lies in the fact that I thought he could fill the office by virtue of his personality alone, but he has instead surrounded himself with his advisors," Hoeneß recently criticized in kicker. One of them was apparently office manager Moritz Mattes, who, according to Bild, also has to take his hat.
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Hoeneß and the fans of FC Bayern: Schickeria asked club patron for intervention
This development around the club did not taste Hoeneß at all. And according to his own statements, he was far from alone with this displeasure. Fans had asked him about the grievances: "They came especially to me at the Tegernsee." He also reported on discussions with the ultras: "Even the people from the 'Schickeria' said: 'Please make sure that our FC Bayern runs straight ahead again.'"
In the end, Hoeneß called the "simply too unsatisfactory overall development" that forced him to act. This probably also refers to the unfortunate handling of the dispute Qatar Airways. Parts of the fans have been calling for the end of the deal with the Qatari sponsor for years, and at the 2021 general meeting the situation almost escalated because Kahn and Hainer completely underestimated the vehemence with which the ultras in particular refuse to cooperate with the airline from the emirate.
Farewell: Oliver Kahn had to leave FC Bayern more or less through the back door. © IMAGO / Eibner
Hoeneß versus Kahn and Salihamidzic: "Many decisions have raised questions"
Many personnel decisions – such as the avoidable departures of club icons David Alaba and Robert Lewandowski or the dismissal of Julian Nagelsmann, which has mutated into a boomerang – also caused observers to shake their heads. It was precisely the noisy departure of the coach, who only learned of his resignation after the public, that set off alarm bells in the villa on Lake Tegernsee and certainly caused the telephone bill to skyrocket.
Hoeneß mentions "things like the dismissal of Julian Nagelsmann", as a result of which "the disturbing feelings have gradually intensified". In particular, he questions the timing of the separation. Hoeneß wanted to "make it clear that Oliver and Hasan have done a lot right in the first place. But all in all, many decisions have raised questions." With him, obviously, also the missed calls.
FC Bayern without Hoeness? It doesn't work that way. At least not yet. (mg)
