FC Bayern’s possible return of Jérôme Boateng continues to make waves. Former Munich player Thomas Helmer warns both sides of the risks of a comeback.
“If he stayed fit at Bayern so that he could recommend himself to another club, OK. But moving to Munich again would be a risk for both sides,” emphasized Helmer at “t-online.de”.
From a sporting perspective, the risk for FC Bayern would be manageable. Boateng is finally available for free. His salary probably won’t be too generous either. “He would definitely get a very performance-based contract,” Helmer is certain. Nevertheless, he considers the central defender’s return to Munich to be “difficult”.
Helmer also sees a certain risk for Boateng. “He hasn’t had any competition practice recently and hasn’t played much in Lyon. It’s one thing to possibly still have the physical requirements as a professional. But it’s something else entirely to have to or be allowed to play for Bayern,” said the 58th -year-old and warned the 2014 world champion: “I don’t know if he should do this to himself.”
“The big, decisive question” for Boateng
However, the fact that Boateng knows the club very well speaks in favor of a commitment. From 2011 to 2021, the defender wore the jersey of the German record champions. “He knows what is expected of a player at Bayern. A player like Jérôme, who has experienced and won so much, basically doesn’t need a long time to get used to it,” said Helmer.
However, the 1996 European champion expressed slight doubts about the 35-year-old’s quality: “If he can still bring the class onto the pitch, everything else will take care of itself. But that’s where everything stands or falls. That’s the big, crucial question “What is his performance level really like at the moment?”
FC Bayern recently brought Boateng, who is currently without a club, into training. The veteran is expected to train in the next few days – and possibly even be hired as a backup.
In the interview, Helmer also commented on Max Eberl, who has been associated with FC Bayern since he left RB Leipzig. “I do believe that Max Eberl will end up in Munich soon. I think very highly of Max personally,” said the ex-national player.
According to Helmer, Eberl’s move from Gladbach to Leipzig and the quick exit from RB “left scars”. “After his long, successful time in Gladbach, these were very unfortunate appearances and situations. Max knows that too,” emphasized Helmer.