"Whenever things got heated in the media, I noticed a big difference in this job. What was completely new for me was working at a club that wasn't governed by a single, charismatic owner. Instead, there was a heterogeneous group of shareholders, while legendary former players traditionally held sway at the club's management level. In the middle of the season, there was a change in the presidency when Uli Hoeneß took over."
"However, I felt that we were working with a top-class professional team, not a youth team, so the players should be treated accordingly. So I stood in front of the team in the dressing room, pulled the piece of paper out of my pocket, and said, 'I have orders from the board to read this list to you,' - That was my way of distancing myself from this task."
Bayern topped the Bundesliga by a large margin but regarded that result as merely meeting expectations. Club governance depended on a mix of shareholders and influential former players, with a midseason presidency change to Uli Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as chairman of the board. The manager had to report to multiple powerful figures, faced unclear internal authority, and sought counsel from senior players while guarding independence. The board requested stricter discipline via a five-point list, which was read to the squad in a way that signaled managerial distance. A tactical choice against Paris Saint-Germain to bench aging wingers and attack through the middle proved unbalanced and costly.
Read at Bavarian Football Works
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