Lothar Matthäus has criticized the leaders of FC Bayern. The bosses would not properly work through the embarrassing elimination in the quarter-finals of the Champions League against Villarreal, according to the record national player.
“We were eliminated in the quarter-finals, so we won’t burst into tears. We’ll have another chance next year and we’ll attack again.” This reaction from CEO Oliver Kahn to the embarrassing end of FC Bayern in the Champions League upsets the long-time Munich and current TV expert Lothar Matthäus. “The statements afterwards surprised me,” wrote the 61-year-old in a column for “kicker”.
Matthäus added that he was “not concerned with personal matters” at Bayern, but solely with the club. “Not that it’s said again that I’ll shoot against Oliver Kahn or Hasan Salihamidzic, that has nothing to do with it.”
FC Bayern “more personal” among the ex-bosses
Nevertheless, Matthäus is convinced that a different wind would have blown under the old leadership of Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß.
Both would have helped FC Bayern “the best with their way, also from the human, a fatherly side. Everything seemed more personal, the family and togetherness has broken away, most recently it was under Hansi Flick”.
Matthäus criticized: Kahn as well as President and Chairman of the Supervisory Board Herbert Hainer “talked the 1:1 nicer than it was. Three big chances are not Bayern-like, claim and quality are actually higher”. The “classic FC Bayern DNA” is missing.
“Too many lows” at Bayern
As a player, Kahn always spoke plainly, says Matthäus. “It would be nice if he returned there. He can’t say that you’re happy with your own performance and you didn’t see the tactics at Villarreal. If that’s Bayern’s sense of entitlement, then he rowed in the wrong direction .”
Overall, according to the 1990 world champion, FC Bayern had “too many lows this season”, both in terms of sport and in terms of the actions of the management level. Matthäus recalled the turbulent annual general meeting with discussions surrounding the controversial Qatar sponsorship as well as the ongoing discussions about player contract extensions that have dominated the headlines in recent weeks.
In addition to the disappointing performance in the Champions League, coach Julian Nagelsmann was responsible for the “embarrassing end of the cup in Mönchengladbach” and the defeats in Augsburg and Bochum, stated Matthäus.