Hoeneß suddenly angry: “That’s not Bayern Munich” | OneFootball

At FC Bayern, expectations are clear heading into the start of the new basketball season. After a disappointing 2025–26 season without a title, the team is expected to return to the top of the national league. Uli Hoeneß has now made it clear that what he disliked most about last season was the Munich team’s mentality.

At the ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the basketball division, the honorary president looked back on several performances that apparently still bother him to this day.

“I think of the cup semifinal; I think of the last game against Alba Berlin, where we were leading by 20 points. That’s not Bayern Munich,” Hoeneß explained.

The end of the Bundesliga season was particularly bitter. In the decisive fifth game of the finals against Alba Berlin, Bayern squandered a significant lead and, as a result, missed out on the championship title. For Hoeneß, this wasn’t primarily a question of athletic quality.

Hoeneß Criticizes the Team’s Mentality

“You can always lose a game, but when you’re leading by 20 points, that just shouldn’t happen,” the 74-year-old made clear.

Hoeneß then became even more explicit: “And that doesn’t necessarily have to do with the quality of the team, but with its mentality. And I didn’t like that last year.”

Team management has responded to the title-less season. Anton Gavel, a former Bayern pro, has taken over as head coach. Gavel comes to Munich from Cup champion Bamberg. There was also a change at the sporting management level with the appointment of Thorsten Leibenath.

This comes with the hope that the team will not only return to winning ways in the new season but also demonstrate the mentality that Hoeneß has recently found lacking.

President Herbert Hainer also made it clear that expectations at FC Bayern remain as high as ever.

Hainer is calling for both domestic titles

Photo: IMAGO

“There’s absolutely no question that we aim to win both German titles,” the 72-year-old explained. The team has once again been “properly reinforced” for this purpose.

Even after the disappointing end to the season, Hainer had sent the team off on vacation with some strong words. “Before they all went on vacation, I naturally made it clear to them once again what our expectations were and what the end result turned out to be.”

The message from Bayern’s leadership could hardly be clearer. After a season without a title, it’s not enough for those in charge to simply be in contention for trophies. Hoeneß is calling for a different mindset, Hainer is also holding the team accountable—and the goals of winning the league title and the cup have been clearly stated.