"Like idiots...": Bayern face backlash over Woltemade 👀 | OneFootball

A transfer that was mocked in Munich is now having a completely different effect. Nick Woltemade is currently proving his critics wrong in impressive fashion – and this has not gone unnoticed.

The 23-year-old striker, who was also hotly pursued by FC Bayern in the summer, fired Newcastle United to a 4-0 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League on Wednesday evening with a spectacular goal. This very goal brought the Munich management into the headlines – but not in a positive way.

The Daily Mail was clear in its verdict: “Nick Woltemade is making Bayern’s critics look like fools.” The Sun was also harsh on the German record champions: “Nick Woltemade rammed Bayern Munich’s bitterness right down their throats.”

Rummenigge called Newcastle idiots

Photo: IMAGO

In the course of the move to England, Bayern board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge publicly expressed doubts about the high transfer fee for Woltemade: “I can only congratulate those in Stuttgart for finding – let’s say in quotation marks – an idiot who paid that much money – because we certainly wouldn’t have done that in Munich.”

In the end, Newcastle United prevailed in the transfer saga and paid up to 90 million euros for Woltemade, including bonus payments. The first responses to Rummenigge’s jibe were not long in coming. VfB boss Alexander Wehrle responded with a sly remark: “We always appreciate congratulations from Munich.”

Magpies coach Eddie Howe commented diplomatically on the remarks from Germany: “I think such things are actually irrelevant.” At the same time, he emphasized: “Ultimately, it’s the market that determines transfer fees, not necessarily a single club.”

Woltemade’s teammate on Bayern: “A bit stupid”

But it wasn’t just the media and officials who took a stance. Teammate Anthony Gordon also clearly defended the new signing: “I don’t know why you would comment on a player who isn’t at your club. Honestly, it’s a bit stupid, especially when the player has had a really good start. If he’d had a really bad start, you could have made that comment, but he’s scored three goals in four games, so it was a bit of a strange comment.”

Away from the discussions about his person, Woltemade continues to deliver on the pitch. After two headed goals in the Premier League, he now scored spectacularly with his heel in the Champions League – his third competitive goal in four appearances. Coach Howe was full of praise after the final whistle: “He was outstanding today!”

Off the pitch as well, the 1.98-meter-tall man appears unfazed by the commotion: “He’s handling things really well off the field too and seems hardly unsettled. He’s come to a new country here, but hardly makes a fuss,” Howe continued. The convincing win over Saint-Gilloise was also Newcastle’s first victory in the current Champions League season – although in the league, the club is still lagging behind expectations.

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