During Bayern Munich’s crazed coaching search, Ralf Rangnick ended up seriously pursued by the Bavarian giants. In the end, the “godfather of gegenpressing” ended up passing on the job in order to focus fully on Austria’s charge to succeed in the 2024 EUROs. But there were rumors that, perhaps, former Bayern president and current member of the supervisory board Uli Hoeneß had vetoed the move or at least put Rangnick off of working in Munich with some public comments.
With yet more typical, full-blooded Uli Hoeness public comments, Hoeness spoke up to ensure that this narrative would not continue to be bandied around. Speaking in front of a crowd in Seligenporten, as captured by Heiko Niedderer, Hoeneß had this to say: “It is complete ridiculous that it was said that [Rangnick] did not join Bayern because of me. He told me ‘if I come to Bayern, I come because of you’. Tomorrow we will meet for lunch and play some golf.”
Hoeness also talked about another possible managerial appointment in a long list of failed approaches, as he explained how Bayern approached Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner. The reports were that Crystal palace demanded €100 million for Bayern to sign the ex-Frankfurt coach in an attempt to ward them off and Hoeness did nothing to dispel that rumor, as Heiko Niedderer captured again: “We also spoke with Glasner, who we liked. He really, really wanted to go to Bayern. But [Crystal Palace] did not want to let him go and Bayern is not all powerful either.”
At this point, it is ancient history. Having signed Vincent Kompany to be the new head coach, Bayern now turn their focus to making sure the new guy goes into the season as well equipped as possible.
What is Kompany cooking? Are the Pep comparisons really warranted? We discuss all that and more — including parallels to another “Guardiola disciple” in Mikel Arteta — on the newest edition of our podcast! Listen to it below or on Spotify.