Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness: season expectations and promises “one or two” further signings

In a full-length exclusive interview with TZ, Bayern Munich’s president Uli Hoeness talked at length about his current pet project — Bayern’s basketball division — and a variety of other topics. Prominent among them was the current and future state of the soccer team. Hoeness expressed frustration with criticism of Bayern’s current season.

“I dislike these expectations, this pressure that the media frequently want to transport and build up,” Hoeness said. In Hoeness’ view, Bayern have beaten the odds and played an excellent season, even if they fail to win the Bundesliga:

No matter what happens, we have had a good season: we’re in the DFB Pokal final, we’re leading the Bundesliga table with four matchdays left. We were knocked out by the potential future Champions League winner, and we put a crisis in the middle behind us.

Hoeness emphasized that coach Niko Kovac and the team have accomplished so much in the midst of a dramatic changing of the guard on the roster. Hoeness cited the team’s gritty performance against Bremen:

We moreover are in the midst of carrying out renewing the squad. When I look at the way the team presented itself in Bremen: that was great!

And the process is by no means over. Hoeness noted that Bayern has already secured multiple transfers, while indicating that there is still more to come:

And there are still one or two things that we have planned. We’ve started the renewal on the highest possible level — and potentially already pulled it as concerns the new season. Now we have five or six guys on the team, and another one or two will come. We’re proud of that.

The signings of defenders Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart) and Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid) are thus not the last newcomers. Bayern will presumably also sign a forward, to judge by most of the remaining names with whom the club has been linked. Could it be one or two of Nicolas Pépé, Timo Werner, Federico Chiesa, or even Leroy Sané? Schau ma mal.