Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness is facing sharp criticism after publicly attacking Germany national team coach Julian Nagelsmann. German Football Association (DFB) managing director Andreas Rettig came to Nagelsmann’s defense during an event at “Düsseldorfer Jugend” on Tuesday, taking direct aim at Hoeness.
Rettig, a long-time Bundesliga official, said he was “surprised” by Hoeness’s comments, calling the attack on the coach “completely unnecessary.” He added: “I don’t recall the DFB asking Mr. Hoeness to provide an interim evaluation of Mr. Nagelsmann, and I don’t know what his motive is.” Rettig sarcastically made clear that Nagelsmann is “not as bad as some people claim.”
Regarding Hoeness’s claim that Nagelsmann was “slightly displeased” after their conversation, Rettig said he couldn’t understand that. He stressed that during two and a half years of working with Nagelsmann, even with “occasional disagreements,” the coach “never showed displeasure.” Referring to Hoeness, Rettig added: “Sometimes it also depends on who is speaking.”
The former Bayern boss, who has served as manager, president, and now supervisory board member, also criticized the national team for not being fully prepared just one month before the World Cup. Rettig responded by noting that at least eight, and up to ten, national team players were injured in the past six games, a situation that “cannot be blamed on the coach.” He also mentioned that Bayern paid over €20 million to RB Leipzig to sign Nagelsmann and tried to bring him back to Munich in spring 2024—”there must be a reason for that,” the DFB official said.
Rettig further pointed out that under Nagelsmann, Bayern defeated Paris Saint-Germain twice in the Champions League, while Munich was recently eliminated by PSG in the semifinals of the same competition.