Lothar Matthäus says Bayern Munich’s “togetherness” has been “trampled” after heated Annual General Meeting

Tempers flared and passions boiled over during Bayern Munich’s annual general meeting this past Thursday as Bayern club members vociferously called for the club to end their relationship and partnership with Qatar Airways.

Bayern Munich member and lawyer-in-training Michael Ott recently drafted a motion for the club to let their upcoming expiring contract with Qatar Airways to lapse and to avoid entering any like agreements with companies majority owned by the Emirate of Qatar. Ott has also accused Bayern of using “delaying tactics” to avoid addressing the issue head on. He spoke at the meeting Thursday, delivering an emotional speech that spurred chants from club members where they shouted at Bayern’s board members, “We are Bayern. You are not!”

Speaking on Sky Sports over the weekend, Lothar Matthäus said that he feels the heated nature of the altercations during the general meeting have tampered with a feeling of “togetherness” at Bayern ahead of a big meeting against Borussia Dortmund next weekend in Der Klassiker. He also said he understood both sides of the coin regarding the Qatar issue. “Of course you don’t have to do everything the fans want. You should at least listen to it. The togetherness, which has always distinguished Bavaria, has been trampled underfoot,” he said (Sport Bild).

In recent weeks, Bayern has already been laden with controversy regarding the selection of unvaccinated players as well as the slew of players that had to quarantine due to positive coronavirus cases and/or close contacts. The Qatar issue has always be looming on the surface, but it certainly hasn’t helped keep a harmonious balance both on and off the pitch for Bayern. Both issues create a great deal of divisiveness, but Matthäus said he feels the sense of solidarity needs to be constant, as has usually always been the case at FC Bayern.

“We have always been one unit, we celebrated successes together, but also put up with defeats. You didn’t see this similarity on Thursday,” Matthäus said. While he has a certain responsibility to remain diplomatic as a pundit and former player, it’s clear that he feels Bayern’s board should be doing everything in their power to what the fans and club members are saying, and how loudly they’re saying it.