Hoeneß afraid of Dortmund? Bayern insider spills the beans | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund remains a special opponent for FC Bayern – even Uli Hoeneß is said to have respect for BVB. An insider now reveals how the honorary president used to provide extra motivation.

Shortly before the Bundesliga top match between FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund (Saturday, 18:30), a former companion of both clubs is causing a stir: Michael Henke, long-time assistant to legendary coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, has spoken openly about the rivalry between the two clubs and Uli Hoeneß's special attitude towards BVB.

Henke, who celebrated great successes with both Dortmund and Bayern, still sees BVB as Munich's most dangerous opponent despite the recent dominance of other clubs. “Recently, Leverkusen was the biggest rival in terms of sports because BVB was too inconsistent to keep up permanently. But Bayern and even Uli Hoeneß still fear Dortmund the most,” Henke explained in an interview with Bild.

According to the 68-year-old, this “fear” was evident even during his time under Hitzfeld – particularly through a measure that Hoeneß regularly took back then: “Uli, who was still the manager at the time, often offered a double bonus before games against BVB.”

Henke reveals: Hoeneß saw BVB as a threat to Bayern

In the past, this was real motivation for the players, Henke emphasized. “With the enormous salaries paid at Bayern nowadays, it would hardly have any effect to entice with an extra 20,000 euros.” Today, motivation works more through days off as a reward.

Henke still sees Dortmund as the greatest potential threat to Munich's supremacy: “During our time there and later with Jürgen Klopp, it became clear what momentum can develop when this machine with all its fans gets rolling.” This energy, Henke says, could neither Leverkusen nor Leipzig generate – even though both clubs do good work with their financial resources.

Before the renewed clash of the two traditional clubs, Michael Henke sees FC Bayern in the favorite role, but also praises the development of BVB under Niko Kovac: “He not only got the team fit but also gave them clear instructions. I believe his strictness has given the players back the confidence that had recently been lost.”

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