Bavaria’s CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has reprimanded coach Niko Kovac for his statements in the transfer poker around Leroy Sane of Manchester City. The 63-year-old also spoke about the farewell of Mats Hummels and the future of Jerome Boateng.
“I didn’t like the statement and I’m not making a secret of it,” Rummenigge said on ZDF before the test match of the German record champion in the Audi Cup 2019 at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
Rummenigge stressed that FC Bayern maintained a “very good relationship” with the Premier League champions. He wanted to remind “that the player is still under contract with Manchester City and will not help optimistic or pessimistic statements.”
Kovac had said in an interview with ZDF broadcast on Sunday that he was “very confident” about Sane’s commitment and expected “that we can get him”.
Rummenigge did not know how Kovac came to this conclusion. “I have always said that I do not report water levels, and I will not do so today,” said Rummenigge: “We are working on transfers. What comes around at the end of the day, we’ll have to wait and see. We’re all gonna have to be patient.”
FC Bayern has been expressing its interest in the German international for some time now. Sport Bild last Wednesday reported “positive signals” from Sane management in the direction of the record holder, while city coach Pep Guardiola recently emphasised that the club would like to extend its membership with Sane.
When asked about the future of Jerome Boateng, who President Uli Hoeneß had suggested to change clubs at the end of last season, Rummenigge was positively surprised by his preparations.
“He did a good job on the American tour, he arrived relatively fit and certainly gained points in the two games he played,” said Rummenigge in the direction of Boateng.
We will have to wait and see how Boateng, who is contractually bound to Munich until 2021, continues: “We have had talks with him, but even today I cannot make a statement. Anything is still possible.”
While the 30-year-old central defender’s stay with the record champion remains an issue, Mats Hummels switched from the Munich team to Borussia Dortmund in the summer.
For Rummenigge, despite the strong second half of the former national player, this was an “acceptable” transfer in view of the transfer sum (30.5 million euros), and he stressed in particular the age of Hummels (31) and the fact that there had been no other offers for Hummels.
“He was an important player, but he had a conversation with the coach and asked him how he saw him in the new season, and the coach didn’t want to guarantee him a regular place. Mats preferred to leave the club,” said Rummenigge, explaining that the Hummels change to BVB had taken place.
