Didi Hamann and Sky strike back at Brazzo over Lewandowski controversy

Didi Hamann’s criticism of FC Bayern Munich’s striker Robert Lewandowski is still a hot topic. After Hassan Salihamidzic blasted Hamann on Saturday for claiming last week that the striker was a problem for Bayern, the Sky commentator fired back.

To insinuate that I’m waging a campaign [against Lewandowski] is unacceptable. If you’re of different opinion, of course that’s fine. But then it has to be discussed in debate, on a certain level. But that was not the case here. When you try to discredit people and make personal attacks, then I have no sympathy for that whatsoever.

Whether or not Brazzo’s comments were fully warranted, it appears that he wants to make one thing clear: FC Bayern supports Robert Lewandowski. This could be a case of overcompensation in light of the complaints Lewandowski made last year about the lack of support he got from the club. In fact, this lack of support seemingly was a major factor in his effort to leave the club last summer.

Hamann’s employer, Sky, also stuck up for their own. In a statement to Bild, they made clear that they stand by their commentator:

Dietmar Hamann has long been one of the most renowned and incisive experts on German television and is very popular with Sky’s audience for his clear words. His opinion is generally valued very highly, because he takes controversial stands that are not always shared by everyone. He further also puts himself out there to be judged by these positions and a factual discussion may be had about them at any time.

After all of the back and forth, Hamann is sticking to his guns:

I stand by my position — that, in the past twelve or eighteen months, [Lewandowski] was not the same player that he was before.