Bayer Leverkusen’s boss
© Imago
According to Bayer Leverkusen’s managing director Fernando Carro, the public advertising of the club management of FC Bayern around Florian Wirtz reduced the transfer opportunities of Munich. “Something like that doesn’t really belong. It was more amazed than bothered that they were publicly aggressive. But I believe that it didn’t help Florian and his parents,” said the 60-year-old of the “Welt am Sonntag”.
Bayern had tried intensively for national players Wirtz and at times also showed publicly optimistic to be able to convince the young star of a move to Munich. In the spring he was contacted by Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen for a transfer, said Carro. However, he had given negotiations. After that, there were no more concrete conversations. “The Bavarians were apparently convinced that Florian would choose them. I told them: We have other information,” said Carro.
Wirtz decided to switch to Liverpool FC and cost a transfer fee of initially fixed 125 million euros. “It still hurts, but you get used to it. You only want Florian the very best,” emphasized Carro. He was glad that Wirtz did not switch to Bavaria, but abroad. He also has a different opinion than DFL supervisory board head Hans-Joachim Watzke. “I do not understand that he would have been happy as head of Borussia Dortmund if Wirtz had gone to Munich. Then Bayern would have been even stronger. I want an exciting Bundesliga,” Carro stated.
The father and consultant of Wirtz had recently said in the “Spiegel” that Liverpool’s coach was particularly decisive for the decision of his son in a similar offer compared to FC Bayern. “Arne Slot has presented his game philosophy, the team tactics in possession and pressing and how Florian can develop his strengths in it. Florian impressed this,” said Hans-Joachim Wirtz.