Lack of personal responsibility?
Ibiza trip causes trouble internally at Bayern
May 3, 2022, 7:38 p.m
Large parts of the FC Bayern squad are traveling to Ibiza after losing to Mainz 05. The trip causes trouble in the league, FC Bayern defends it to the outside. But internally, the excursion is probably more critical.
Sports director Hasan Salihamidzic bravely sold the Bayern squad’s controversial trip to Ibiza as a “team-building measure” after the poor performance at FSV Mainz 05, in which the old and new champions were lucky enough to escape a clearer bankruptcy than 3-1. . The players informed the club “last week that they would like to spend the two days off training in the group in Ibiza,” said Salihamidzic at the request of the Munich media. With the exception of captain Manuel Neuer, world champion Thomas Müller and a handful of other professionals, the squad had said goodbye to the island to reward themselves with a few sunny days for the tenth championship in a row.
At home, in the Bundesliga, it was already smoking badly: “It’s not possible after this game,” complained record national player Lothar Matthäus on Sky90, “not only because of the players, but also because of the external image”. The Munich supporters were annoyed by the team’s performance, “and then the players go on vacation”. In coach Julian Nagelsmann’s place, he would have taken “harder” action and canceled the two days off.
And Nagelsmann, as the “Kicker” writes, was anything but enthusiastic about the trip that team manager Kathleen Krüger informed him and his coaching team about on Thursday before the Mainz game. Nagelsmann was less enthusiastic and surprised about the trip in the middle of the final spurt of the season, in which his team is of course about nothing. Nevertheless, the coach “put much more on the personal responsibility of his players,” says the “Kicker”.
“… but not for three weeks”
The trip and the drop in tension in the record champions’ squad after the Mainz bankruptcy is piquant and problematic for the competition, because on the 33rd matchday he is still very actively involved in the relegation battle: On Sunday (5:30 p.m. / DAZN and in the live ticker on ntv. de) FC Bayern welcomes VfB Stuttgart. The Swabians are currently in relegation place 16, four points behind Hertha BSC.
His coach Felix Magath was particularly upset about the trip during the season: “I would definitely not allow something like that,” he said, who allegedly and in his own interest is worried about the seriousness of the Munich team on the remaining two matchdays . Something like this trip “wouldn’t occur to me. Let’s see how it goes. Once a championship celebration is understandable, but not for three weeks.” After all, all teams still have important points to play for “until the last matchday”.
Salihamidzic hastened to assure the capitals fighting against relegation: “It is absolutely clear” that “our players” against VfB “will do their utmost with the professionalism and footballing strength that characterizes them, to give our fans a nice end to the season with a win as a German champions in their own stadium.” And to actively support Hertha BSC on the way to staying up. However, Salihamidzic did not say that.