His boycott threat to the national team went too far for uli hoeneb. The outgoing president of FC bayern put his sensational remarks into perspective in the debate about the DFB goalkeeper’s starting berth.
These were statements "which, with a little distance, he would not make again today," the hoeneb office said in response to a query from dpa and several media outlets. "The subject has long been settled for him and there are no further statements from him on the subject."
Immediately after munich’s champions league match against red star belgrade (3:0) on 18. September hoeneb had still sounded different. When asked about a scenario in which manuel neuer could be replaced by marc-andre ter stegen in goal, he reacted rigorously. "Before that takes place, we won’t be posting any more national players," the 67-year-old told the "sport bild" newspaper. At the time, he also attacked low and the german soccer federation for their handling of captain neuer.
With his threat, hoeneb described what at first glance appeared to be a spectacular scenario. However, the german record champion had deliberately violated the obligation imposed by the world governing body FIFA to release national players during the international match breaks. In theory, the bavarians would have had to call in all their players sick in the event of a boycott – but if there were any doubts about this, they would have been threatened with punishment, including the suspension of players.
It would have been questionable anyway, whether the stars would participate at all. The sporting successes in the national team are personally important to the current performers neuer, niklas sule, serge gnabry, leon goretzka and joshua kimmich. It’s all about reputation and market value.
The association also likes to emphasize that the value of players is increased by selection. The DFB did not want to comment on the hoeneb statements made via "sport bild" on wednesday. However, these are said to have been received by the federation with incomprehension and head-shaking.
There was nothing new from the two main protagonists either. Ter stegen, who would have liked to play more, did not look good in FC barcelona’s 2-1 win over FC villarreal on tuesday evening when the score was 1-2. He did not comment on the debate. Competitor neuer had already twice last week declared the issue, which he himself had helped to stir up, to be closed. Hoeneb also said over the weekend that his "needs are covered for a while".
The controversy will nevertheless accompany national coach low and his two world-class keepers in the approaching national match phase. On 9. October in the friendly against argentina and on 13. October the european championship qualifiers in estonia are the next chance for ter stegen, who has only played half the time in the national team this year. Low already announced that he would not be "influenced" by the debate. "This lets me look to the future with complete relaxation," said the 59-year-old, who had repeatedly strengthened neuer himself during his long injury layoff.
During the next bundesliga break, more precisely on the 15th of this month, the. November, hoeneb resigns from the presidency. The FC bayern club’s patron saint not only attracted attention with his once again vehement statements in the debate. It also caused astonishment away from the DFB, as a boycott is practically unenforceable. Even his recently expressed wish to have the bundesliga play through and to play country games in january is illusory at present. The dates of the international matches are fixed in the FIFA match calendar until 2024 – with the agreement of all leagues.