Hoeneß considers Bayern exit: "I'll step down if it's best for the club" | OneFootball

Uli Hoeneß spoke openly about his role at FC Bayern at the Munich Marketing Congress – and hinted that he would step back if the club wishes. The honorary president of the record champions made it clear that he is not clinging to his position, but would act as soon as it is in the club’s best interest.

“If you no longer like what I’m doing, then you have to tell me. Then I’ll go – calmly – up to my mountain at Lake Tegernsee,” the 73-year-old said on Thursday evening. Hoeneß was also responding to recurring criticism that he and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge continue to interfere too much in operational matters.

“People always say: Rummenigge and Hoeneß are constantly butting in. That’s absolutely not true,” Hoeneß stressed firmly. He and Rummenigge only speak up “when we feel FC Bayern isn’t running the way we envision it.” If things are going smoothly, “we hold back.”

Curiously, Bayern legend Sepp Maier had advised his longtime companion just a few hours earlier to step back from FC Bayern. “Uli, if I may give you some advice, stop,” the 81-year-old said at an event hosted by the Allgäuer Zeitung in Nesselwang. Hoeneß can’t let go, he’s still getting involved in everything at FC Bayern. “I don’t know if he’s doing himself a favor,” Maier said.

Hoeneß as an agitator?

Photo: IMAGO

In recent weeks, the longtime Bayern figurehead repeatedly made headlines. His comments about sporting director Max Eberl attracted particular attention. At the time, Hoeneß said he considered Eberl “quite sensitive” and publicly advised him to become active earlier on the transfer market – “in June and July,” as he remarked with a hint of sarcasm.

These remarks also sparked internal discussions, but Hoeneß stands by his position: he sees himself as someone who supports the club with advice and experience, not as a brake on the new leadership team.

Even then, he emphasized that he and Rummenigge would only withdraw for good “when the right people are in the right positions.” He reaffirmed this idea once again – and explained that his goal is to strengthen the next generation of decision-makers at the club.

Hoeneß wants to empower the younger generation

In his speech, Hoeneß drew a parallel to his own family business. “I succeeded in what is the ideal case for entrepreneurs – letting young people in and allowing them to develop,” said the honorary president, referring to his sausage factory, which is now run by his son Florian Hoeneß.

In doing so, the 73-year-old made clear how he envisions the future of FC Bayern: “They’re allowed to make mistakes. They have to ask questions. But when they reach the point where they can do it, you have to let them run.”

Hoeneß’s words sound like an open commitment to a long-term generational change – also on Säbener Straße. The honorary president apparently wants to ensure that the transition to the new leadership level proceeds in a stable and responsible manner.

Uli Hoeneß has been honorary president since November 2019 and a member of FC Bayern’s supervisory board since December 2019. Between 1979 and 2009, he shaped the club as a manager like few others and later served as president and chairman of the supervisory board.

Now the Bayern patriarch appears to be genuinely considering the moment when he will finally hand over the reins.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.