Financial mismanagement
Hoeneß criticizes Champions League opponents: “Barcelona are actually broke”
Uli Hoeneß
© Andreas Rentz / Getty Images
Before Bayern’s game against FC Barcelona in the Champions League, Uli Hoeneß commented on the opponent’s financial situation and accused him of unreasonable financial behavior.
Bayern Munich’s honorary president Uli Hoeneß has criticized the first Champions League opponent FC Barcelona for their economic conduct in recent years. In an interview with Bayerischer Rundfunk, Hoeneß said on Monday evening that the club was no longer a role model. “Barcelona are actually broke. If Barcelona were in Germany, that would be a case for the bankruptcy judge,” said the 69-year-old. The Catalans are on this Tuesday evening (9 p.m. / Amazon Prime Video) as the first group opponent of the German soccer champions.
When David Alaba, who has meanwhile moved to Real Madrid, once said that his dream was to play in Barcelona, he asked him if he wanted to negotiate with the president or with the bankruptcy administrator. Hoeneß emphasized that he, too, was in favor of going to the limits. “But at the moment when the whole thing can no longer be reasonably refinanced, you have to say ‘no’ and then also say ‘then I won’t win the Champions League'”. “
Messi, Ronaldo, Ramos: the end of an era
With a view to the old stars Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos who were once active in Spain for a long time, Hoeneß spoke of the final phase of an era. “These are players who will probably never be in this form again or for a long time. And then football will be rolled out again, and FC Bayern must be strong there,” said Hoeneß. In the next one or two years it will be “close your eyes and still try to hit”. That is possible, emphasized Hoeneß. “But to believe that we have to overtake them left and right with economic or financial additions to the players, that will not work.”
After his departure from Barcelona, which was also due to financial circumstances, Messi is now playing for Paris Saint-Germain as well as Real Madrid’s long-time captain Ramos. His ex-team-mate Ronaldo recently returned to Manchester United from Juventus Turin.
