The connection between Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic has torn down to such an intensity that one may be forced to leave, according to club legends Lothar Matthaeus and Stefan Effenberg.
Bayern Munich ought to overturn a 3-2 domestic defeat to Paris Saint Germain in Tuesday’s return leg in the UEFA Champions League, but the pressure is additionally building off the pitch.
Friction between Salihamidzic and Flick, which has mulled all season, has boiled over in the last few days.
Flick refused to answer any questions about the situation before Saturday’s home league game against Union Berlin and former West Germany captain Matthaeus says the situation is indefensible.
“They have different opinions, especially about the squad, and I don’t think that’s fixable anymore, their positions are too far apart,”
On Friday, Flick, who is under contract until 2023, criticized a few of Salihamidzic’s recruitment choices, saying the squad was “stronger” final season when they lifted the Champions League. In the final week, the combine has had a clear distinction of opinion over Jerome Boateng.
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Salihamidzic has affirmed the 32-year-old will not be offered an unused deal when his contract terminates at the end of the season, but Flick has made it clear he needs to keep the 2014 World Cup winner. “One of them has to go,” previous Bayern captain Effenberg.
For the match against PSG, Bayern only had 6 players available instead of the regular 9 substitutes on the bench, Sarr among those six. Of course, Costa and Roca are out with injury problems. However, though, Matthäus’s rant holds a lot of pressure because Bayern lacked profundity on the bench, especially being forced to bring on both Alphonso Davies and Jerome Boateng in the first half due to the injuries to Goretzka and Sule. This was different than last season when Flick had plenty of options to choose from in the Champions League fixture in Portugal.
Matthäus compared Bayern’s squad situation with Chelsea’s who won their first leg against FC Porto 2-0. “Chelsea has five grenades on the bench for the storm, if I look at it: Pulisic, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi, Zyiech, and Abraham. And Bavaria? If Bayern has a few injury problems, the quality is missing. Except for Jamal Musiala, the 18-year-old, nobody is on the bench for the offensive,” he said.
