“Still all cups in the closet”?
Hoeneß is stuck against the AfD-and warns Bayern stars
23.02.2025 – 10:30 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Uli Hoeneß had positioned himself against the AfD at Franz Beckenbauer’s funeral service. Now he warns the players of FC Bayern.
Should and must FC Bayern be political? Munich Honorary President Uli Hoeneß has a clear answer to this question: “If one of our players suddenly advertised the AfD, I would talk to him and ask him if he still has all the cups in his closet,” said the 73-year-old in the interview With the “kicker”.
Hoeneß clearly positioned himself against the party at the funeral service of Franz Beckenbauer in January 2024. In his speech, he reminded of the 2006 World Cup when “hundreds of, thousands of thousands with the black, red and gold flag drove through the streets because they were proud of our country.” Hoeneß particularly emphasized the pride in Germany: “We have to get back there,” he said and pushed after: “I would like to clearly emphasize that I don’t want to have the AfD with this process.”
In the “Kicker” interview, he now confirmed his words: “I stand by this speech, she was my private opinion.” However, he did not want to “open” this to FC Bayern. Instead, he believes the association for “smart” to rely on successful initiatives such as “red against racism”.
“However, we do not make the mistake of overwhelming the players. If so, someone has to act on their own conviction,” said Hoeneß. The initiative for diversity, tolerance and cosmopolitanism was launched in 2020 by the German record champions.
In addition to the social meaning that the Munich also have through their approximately 380,000 members, Hoeneß alluded to another problem: “FC Bayern alone cannot solve any problems. What it can do is to support politics and society” – for example through benefit games. But Hoeneß sees black there.
Example: The attack in Magdeburg or the attack in Aschaffenburg. “That would have been the classic case in which FC Bayern travels there, plays to convey community spirit and hope and earn a million euros for aid measures,” said Hoeneß.
With the full schedule “this is basically no longer possible”. It is less about the money, “we also want to give hope and give signs that you have an eye on the one who is doing badly,” he continued.