Personae Non Gratae — The Men Fans Love to Hate
From Christoph Daum to Jürgen Klinsmann, from Louis van Gaal to Paul Breitner — the most controversial figures in FC Bayern München's history.
Bayern
Some arrived as saviours and left as personae non gratae. Van Gaal, Klinsmann, Breitner — they were all part of FC Bayern.
Louis van Gaal — The Tulip General
Won the Double immediately — and alienated almost everyone at the club in the process.
The Dutchman coached Bayern from 2009 to 2011. With his abrasive, empathy-free manner, he alienated players like Luca Toni, Miroslav Klose — whom he asked for his name at the first training session — van Bommel, Lucio and Ribéry.
Hoeneß attacked him publicly: It's difficult to talk to him because he doesn't accept other people's opinions. A truce followed over red wine in Cluj. But when van Gaal tried to install reserve keeper Thomas Kraft as number one despite Manuel Neuer's imminent arrival, he had to go.
Hoeneß has since reconciled with some adversaries — with van Gaal, probably not.
- Tenure
- July 2009 – April 2011
- Titles
- Double 2010
Jürgen Klinsmann — The Grinning Grabber
The eternally smiling Swabian failed at FC Bayern both as a player and as a coach.
The player (1995–97) left as a champion but worn down by FC Hollywood. Symbolic: his kick into an advertising bin after being substituted by Trapattoni. With Lothar Matthäus, a cordial mutual dislike.
Despite 31 goals in 65 games, the overriding impression: a man who thinks of himself first.
Eleven years later, Bayern brought him back as coach. He arrived with grand promises but without Jogi Löw: create an energy field that will give the players a lot of fun. What followed: 1-5 at Wolfsburg, 2-5 at home to Bremen, 0-4 at Barcelona, not a single day top of the table, sacked on matchday 29.
Hoeneß: Klinsmann was the coach with the greatest concentration of power in Bayern's history.
His wishes were not just fulfilled — they were over-fulfilled. Lahm: After six weeks, every player knew it wasn't going to work.
- As player
- 1995–97, 31 goals in 65 games
- As coach
- 2008/09, sacked matchday 29
Paul Breitner — Persona Non Grata
The 1974 World Cup winner was banned from FC Bayern's VIP tribune.
There was a call from Herr Dreesen; Uli Hoeneß was suggesting I should not show my face in the VIP area for the foreseeable future — Breitner told Bild in November 2018.
In October 2018, Breitner had criticised the verbal broadside by Hoeneß and Rummenigge at a press conference: I remain depressed because in 48 years I could never have imagined this club would expose itself like this. Once again, the end of the on-off relationship between two men who had shared a flat in 1970, celebrated the great triumphs of the seventies and seemed friends for life.
His sharp tongue was never under control. As early as 1973: At this shitty club, they can't even celebrate properly.
By 2018, his credit was used up.
- At FCB
- 1970–1974, 1978–1983
- VIP ban
- November 2018
Never Bayern
Some were never part of the club — yet became the enemy. Rivals, provocateurs and the man who scored in Barcelona.
Christoph Daum — The Sniffler
Daum provoked Bayern for years — and was ultimately exposed by his own hair sample.
Christoph Daum provoked coaching icon Jupp Heynckes in the 1980s in a manner Uli Hoeneß could not forgive. A sample: The weather forecast is more interesting than a conversation with him.
Legendary was the showdown on the Aktuelles Sportstudio TV show before the decisive match in May 1989, when Daum and Hoeneß tore into each other before a multi-million audience. According to a BILD readers' poll, Daum won the TV duel (47%) far ahead of Hoeneß (8%).
But Bayern became champions.
The feud reignited twelve years later when Hoeneß set about preventing Daum from becoming national team coach. With his interview — If it's possible to write about the sniffling Daum without contradiction, he must not become national coach — he triggered an avalanche. Hoeneß received death threats.
Daum was the good guy — until his own hair sample proved exorbitant cocaine use.
- Feud
- 1989–2000
- Hoeneß quote
- People like Daum must be nipped in the bud
Jens Lehmann — The Rival
He took Oliver Kahn's place as Germany's number one before the 2006 World Cup.
Favoured by national coach Klinsmann, Lehmann became the villain for Bayern fans partly because of certain remarks about King Kahn: What should I talk to him about? I don't have a 17-year-old girlfriend. Bayern fans mercilessly booed him at an international match in Munich.
Sebastian Kehl — The Man Who Snubbed Bayern
The man who sent back the Bayern cheque — and triggered a lasting rivalry.
The 21-year-old initially reached an agreement with Bayern while still at SC Freiburg. Shortly before Christmas, he announced his move to Dortmund instead. He transferred back the 1.5 million marks paid by Bayern, plus interest. The Kehl affair marked the beginning of a long-lasting rivalry between Bayern and BVB.
Alan Sugar — The Enemy from the Island
The Tottenham owner held up a Klinsmann shirt on live TV: I wouldn't even wash my car with this.
After Klinsmann's move to Munich, Sugar announced the end of a bromance and threatened legal action. He wanted money back from a man I had looked in the eye and trusted. Hoeneß defended Klinsmann throughout the feud. The English businessman did not appreciate that.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær — The Goalscorer
He never did anything malicious to FC Bayern — except scoring that goal in the 93rd minute.
Champions League final 1999. Manchester United vs Bayern München. Solskjær scored in injury time to make it 2-1. The mother of all Bayern defeats. Wherever his name is mentioned, true Bayern fans feel pain in body and soul.