Peter Schmeichel sees the blame for Bayern Munich’s defeat in the Champions League in 1999 at the FCB itself. Besides, Jerome Boateng isn’t thinking goodbye. Consultant Christian Nerlinger also confirms this. All news and rumours about the Bavarians can be found here.
Twenty years ago, FC Bayern experienced one of their bitterest hours at the last minute defeat in the Champions League final against Manchester United (1:2) – a circumstance that, according to the then United keeper Peter Schmeichel, the FCB is exclusively to blame for itself.
“FC Bayern was to blame itself. You were negligent, satisfied too soon. If they had continued to step on the gas, had been a little more clever in exploiting the opportunities …” says Schmeichel im kicker.
The Dane has absolutely no sympathy for the substitution of Lothar Matthäus, whom Ottmar Hitzfeld replaced 1-0 with Thorsten Fink: “No need. If anyone had had to move, it would have been Ferguson – we were behind. But this gave us a little more space, we took new courage.”
After Mario Basler’s early lead, Teddy Sheringham and Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer shot the Munich side into the valley of tears in injury time. “Even today, I am simply overjoyed that it came to this,” Schmeichel explains.
Christian Nerlinger, Jerome Boateng’s advisor, has denied the rumours of a change about his client and assumes that he will remain with FC Bayern: “We have clearly decided not to hold any talks with other clubs due to last summer’s experience and under the current conditions”, Nerlinger commented in the kicker statement.
Boateng had already said before that he would continue to burn and not run away from the situation. Nevertheless, he expressed his lack of understanding for the criticism with which he was sometimes confronted, as well as for the lack of time in the second half of the season: “I couldn’t understand that, I was angry, especially because of the statements made by the coach. I’m the last one who can’t criticize when someone else is better.”
Especially the extravagant lifestyle of Boateng is a thorn in the side of many critics, in which he sees an unequal treatment of his person: “It is always put down in such a way that I would have to travel around the world and would have any appointments or obligations for six hours”, explains the defender in kicker regarding his work on his own lifestyle magazine Boa as well as his glasses collection.
“With other players who are also on the road by plane on days off, there is no such theme: David Alaba often jets to Vienna, Javi Martinez to Spain, Franck Ribery to Paris. I can’t understand this evaluation, but it just fits right in.”
James Rodriguez leads the Colombian national team in Copa America from 14 June to 7 July in Brazil. The 27-year-old was appointed to the cafeteria squad by national coach Carlos Queiroz.
The Colombians, whose line-up includes Radamel Falcao, will face Argentina, Qatar and Paraguay in the preliminary round. The upcoming World Cup host was invited to the tournament as was Japan.
Meanwhile, the future of James at FC Bayern Munich is still open, even if there are many signs that he will leave. Until 15 June, those responsible have time to take the 42 million euro purchase option to get rid of the Real Madrid playmaker.
