Uli Hoeness admits there’s no ‘plan B’ to keeping Jupp Heynckes at Bayern Munich

Despite Jupp Heynckes’s protestations to the contrary, Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness is increasingly persistent in his effort to retain the 72-year-old coach for one more season. Speaking at the Ständehaus meeting in Dusseldorf (via SportBild), Hoeness revealed that Bayern currently do not have a ‘plan B’ in the event they’re not able to convince Heynckes to stay:

We are trying to convey to him that his mission at Bayern isn’t over. Jupp should oversee the transitional phase from the older to the younger players . . . I hope we can convince him to stay one more year. There is no plan B.

Hoeness elaborated, apparently alluding to Julian Nagelsmann,

Imagine a 35-year-old coach tells Ribery, I’m not playing you today. We’re confident that Jupp can handle this transition. He’s done his job—summa cum laude.

Although in recent weeks ex-Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel has emerged as the most likely candidate to succeed Heynckes, Hoeness’s remarks suggest that the proverbial ship has sailed.

Hoeness’s comments also contradict the contention of Eintracht Frankfurt’s sporting director, Fredi Bobic, who claimed that he already knew who Bayern’s next manager would be. Bobic has since qualified his remarks (Sport1), but his close personal relationship with Tuchel has fueled speculation that Tuchel may ultimately be Heynckes’s successor.

Photo credit should read THOMAS KIENZLE/AFP/Getty Images

Hoeness’s determination to keep hold of Heynckes certainly is not unwarranted—it’s no coincidence that Bayern have won 18 of 19 matches across all competitions since he’s taken charge. In fact, Bayern have won more points in their last 13 league matches than any other team in Europe’s top 5 leagues—all the more reason Hoeness and company should continue to fight tooth and nail to secure Heynckes’s services for another season.

At this point, why would Hoeness be chasing a lost cause if there were absolutely zero chance of it happening? You’ve got to wonder.

Stats like this don’t just come out of thin air: