Qatar critic Michael Ott was not so much the focus of the Bayern AGM this time, this time instead of submitting a request for a Qatar vote like last year he “only” asked the presidium critical questions about his Qatar position.
Nevertheless, he was involved in the scene of the evening: Ex-President Uli Hoeneß (70) scolded him when he went out: “Your appearance was embarrassing! This is the football club Bayern Munich and not the general assembly of Amnesty International!”
After the AGM, BILD spoke to Ott about the scene and his further actions in Qatar.
BILD: Were you surprised when Hoeneß arrived?
Ott: “That surprised me!”
BILD: How did you find that?
Ott: “We had an objective dialogue here at the general meeting, Mr. Hoeneß is a bit out of the ordinary. He’s certainly not interested in any factual dialogue, you could tell that. I also had an inquiry from “Die Zeit” months ago about a dispute with Mr. Hoeneß. That obviously failed because of Hoeneß, not because of me. But now he can obviously throw some bad words at me…”
BILD: What happened after that?
Ott: “I told him that Bayern Munich football club should also respect human rights, but he didn’t even want to hear my answer.”
BILD: Did you expect things to remain so peaceful this time around the Qatar issue?
Ott: “I had already expected that it would be more factual, that was my goal too. It doesn’t help anyone if the club sinks into chaos like last year. I thought it was good that we brought it to a factual level. That has already developed over the course of the year.”
BILD: Did you find the answers to your questions satisfactory?
Ott: “I specifically specified that I would like to hear the opinion of the presidency as of today, they will already have an opinion today. Even if they want to make an assessment after the World Cup. They skilfully circumvented that, which I think is a shame.”
BILD: How do you feel about the extension with Qatar?
Ott: “I can already hear that the trend is towards extra time. It all sounds like you want to extend it.”
TV appearance by the Bavarian President Hainer reacts to embarrassing Hoeneß scene!
16.10.2022
BILD: Will you continue to fight?
Ott: “As long as not all resources are exhausted, I don’t see why you should give up. I think it’s good if you have a corrective in the club. I’m not the type to give up easily.”
BILD: So we will see you here again in the event of an extension?
Ott: “Yes, the problems don’t disappear in Qatar, and as long as it’s problematic, you have to name it. You’ve seen in the past that it’s the fans who create the public pressure. That’s why we need it, you can’t just stop when the contract is extended.”
BILD: The election result of 83 percent for Hainer is very low by Bayern standards. A reminder about Qatar?
Ott: “It was not a vote on Qatar. But it is generally a bit of a reminder as a candidate with no alternative. There is a homework book that is filled with everything you should pay attention to. We have now written to the Executive Committee that many fans are critical of the Qatar sponsorship and that it divides the club somewhat. It also became clear that 50+1 is very important for the members.”
Kahn laughs, Hoeness moans This is how the Bayern meeting went in 2022
16.10.2022
BILD: What are your feelings when you go out?
Ott: “It went just as I expected. I’m not dissatisfied, also because criticism could be clearly expressed. The differences of opinion have become clear, which I found to be the most important thing.”
