FC Bayern: Uli Hoeneß criticizes Thomas Tuchel and praises Nagelsmann

Football FC Bayern

Hoeneß criticizes Tuchel and praises Nagelsmann

Status: 12.10.2023 | Reading time: 4 minutes

Nagelsmann brings new fire to the DFB team

Julian Nagelsmann starts as the new national coach. On the trip to the USA he completed his first long meeting with the players. Union professional Robin Gosens spoke about his impressions after the meeting.

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Before Julian Nagelsmann’s debut as national coach, Uli Hoeneß raves about the new national coach. The honorary president of FC Bayern also criticizes his successor Thomas Tuchel. He’s happy with that, but certain statements annoy him.

After a lot of criticism over many years, Uli Hoeneß congratulated the German Football Association (DFB) on the appointment of national coach Julian Nagelsmann. The former coach of FC Bayern is “exactly the right person for this situation now,” said the honorary president of the German record champions in an interview with RTL/ntv.

“He’s fresh, he’s young. He is now completely recovered and took a lot of vacation after leaving FC Bayern. And he has a lot of enthusiasm. I am convinced that he gained a lot of strength. And now the national team needs optimism. She needs a spirit of optimism and I think Julian is exactly the right person for that,” said 71-year-old Hoeneß. Nagelsmann, who had to leave Munich early last March, will make his debut as DFB selection coach this Saturday (9 p.m./RTL) in the friendly against the USA in Hartford, Connecticut.

Hoeneß viewed the fact that the 36-year-old’s contract is only valid until the home European Championships next year as positive. “Julian is now taking a risk with a short contract and so is the DFB. And if that goes well, then there will be huge opportunities for both sides again,” said the long-time Bayern president. “But now both sides should focus on this huge event, on the home European Championships. That doesn’t happen every year.”

Uli Hoeneß, here at the Oktoberfest, criticizes coach Thomas Tuchel from FC Bayern

Source: dpa/Felix Hörhager

Hoeneß doesn’t think much of the national team’s current trip to North America – before a home tournament like the 2024 European Championship, the DFB should have organized as many test matches as possible in their own country, said Hoeneß. Hoeneß criticized the fact that the second game of the USA trip against Mexico next Wednesday will kick off at two o’clock German time as “amateurish”.

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That’s not how you can get the German fans and spectators behind you, he said. “You should have said: Either we manage to do it at a reasonable time, or we just don’t go to America.”

“Find something to eat for the media”

Hoeneß also criticized Thomas Tuchel. The statements about Nagelsmann’s successor make people sit up and take notice. Hoeneß said that, in general, the sometimes contrary statements about transfer policy from Bayern’s camp were “a feast for the media, especially for the tabloids.” Hoeneß criticized that some “including the coach” had “made unwise statements.” He himself wouldn’t make his own team look bad “by saying we’re too thin.”

The 50-year-old Tuchel recently said that the squad was sparse in some places – and that meant especially the central midfield and defense. “If you see every weekend what we have on the bench – only national players – then we don’t have a thin squad,” said Hoeneß, also reacting to Tuchel’s comments.

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In addition, FC Bayern must continue to make sure in the future “not just to buy expensive players, but also to give the young ones a chance,” said supervisory board member Hoeneß. As an example of this, he cited young professional Frans Krätzig, who has recently been used several times.

The 20-year-old Krätzig “would never have been used and his career at FC Bayern would probably not have taken place at all” if only the full reservoir of superstars could have been drawn from. Hoeneß announced that there would definitely not be a big transfer offensive in the winter. He could only imagine a few additions. FC Bayern is “a commercial enterprise” and wants to “be healthy for the next ten years.”

In Dayot Upamecano, Matthijs de Ligt and Minjae Kim, only three central defenders of top international caliber are part of the Bayern squad. Upamecano recently suffered a muscle injury against SC Freiburg and will probably be out for several weeks. De Ligt only started running training again last Tuesday after a knee injury.

Jerome Boateng will not receive a contract with FC Bayern

The spectacular return is off the table. FC Bayern has decided against signing Jerome Boateng. The record champions announced this on Friday. The personnel situation in the central defense has “relaxed,” it said in the statement.

Hoeneß welcomed the fact that the Munich team recently refrained from signing world champion Jérôme Boateng despite the lack of personnel in the center of the defense chain. The defender shouldn’t have played in the Champions League anyway. And if Bayern bring in another defender during the winter break, that would mean “that Jérôme would practically only be signed for eight Bundesliga games,” said Hoeneß. “And that’s completely nonsense economically.”

Hoeneß also criticizes Kahn and Salihamidzic

Rejecting Boateng was “a sensible decision.” And ultimately, Hoeneß also praised coach Tuchel a bit: “We now have a coach in Thomas Tuchel with whom we are very, very satisfied.”

In the interview, Hoeneß once again criticized the former club management around Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic. The club’s separation from the two board members last May had primarily to do with the circumstances of Nagelsmann’s dismissal. “The decision to rush Julian Nagelsmann on leave certainly made a big contribution,” said Hoeneß. He was convinced “that there was no resentment against Julian within the Bayern squad.”

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