Hoeneß reveals: "Ismaik wanted Bayern move, I sent him to 1860" | OneFootball

A revelation with plenty of explosive potential: Uli Hoeneß revealed in a BR documentary that he himself played a decisive role in Hasan Ismaik’s entry at TSV 1860 Munich. According to Hoeneß, the investor originally wanted to get involved with FC Bayern – but the then-president declined and promptly referred him to the city rival.

In the BR documentary “Rise & Fall,” which deals with the rise and fall of the Lions, Hoeneß spoke openly about the events of 2011. “I was asked at the time. I think they wanted to get involved with Bayern Munich in some way. Then I said: For us, that’s absolutely out of the question,” said the honorary president of the record champions.

Hoeneß sent Ismaik to 1860

Photo: IMAGO/Ulrich Wagner | Photo: IMAGO/Ulrich Wagner,

Instead of welcoming the investor at FC Bayern, Hoeneß referred him elsewhere – with a clear recommendation: “But if he wants to get involved with a football club that obviously needs money, he should turn to Sixty.”

No sooner said than done: On May 30, 2011, Hasan Ismaik signed the cooperation agreement with 1860 Munich. This marked the beginning of a still controversial era at the traditional club – with much conflict, failed promotion plans, and sporting decline.

Instead of returning to the Bundesliga, the Lions at times plummeted all the way down to the Regionalliga. Since 2018, the club has been playing in the 3rd division again – and year after year, they fight in vain for promotion.

“In such a state, you can’t have success”

Hoeneß sees the reasons for the ongoing failure clearly in the internal chaos of the Lions: “In such a state, you can’t have sporting success, because you have to pull together. Of course, there are arguments everywhere, we also have arguments sometimes. But with Sixty, you always get the feeling: if one says this, the other says that.”

As early as 2021, Hoeneß had hinted at his role in the creation of the Ismaik deal. Speaking to the Süddeutsche Zeitung at the time, he said: “Ismaik, or Hamada, I was the one who got him for them.” His motivation? According to Hoeneß, “pure humanity.”

The fact that Uli Hoeneß, who for decades was a staunch opponent of investors in football, was the one to refer an investor to his archrival is a historic irony. The attempt to “help” the Lions ultimately resulted in one of the most turbulent chapters in 1860’s history.

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