Quarrel at FC Bayern

Calmund: “Uli has always had misfires”

Reiner Calmund (right) has commented on Uli Hoeneß' (left) attack on Thomas Tuchel.(Bild: APA/AFP/Christof STACHE/dpa/Oliver Dietze)

Reiner Calmund, a long-time companion of Uli Hoeneß, has spoken out about the row between the honorary president of FC Bayern and coach Thomas Tuchel. "Uli has always had a few lapses," said the former managing director of Bayer Leverkusen on "Bayrischer Rundfunk".

A few days ago, Hoeneß was quoted by a panel discussion in the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" as saying that Tuchel "has a different attitude. He doesn't think he can improve an (Alphonso) Davies, (Aleksandar) Pavlovic or (Jamal) Musiala. If it doesn't work out, you should buy someone else." Hoeneß, on the other hand, believes that "you should work hard on them and give them self-confidence". Statements that caused quite a stir at Säbener Straße ...

Calmund also cannot understand what must have motivated the former Bayern board member to publicly lash out at his own coach - and then just a few days before the all-important Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid.

"Then it really hit the fan"
Although the 75-year-old can remember a long list of other incidents with Hoeneß ... "He used to say completely different things. When he threw a tantrum back then, it really went off," said the former soccer official. "Of course you can say: 'Uli, you could have done without that'. But you don't have to make an issue of it every day." Failures or not, for Calmund, Hoeneß remains "without ifs and buts the most successful and best manager the Bundesliga has ever had."