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Bayern Chief Uli Hoeness Slams Juan Bernat in Explicit Rant
October 19, 2018
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has lashed out at departed defender Juan Bernat, who joined Paris Saint-Germain this past summer after failing to establish himself at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern have failed to win in four matches under new manager Niko Kovac, and Hoeness responded to criticism the club has encountered for failing to provide enough cover for injured left-back David Alaba.
Per DPA (h/t Marca), Hoeness said: "When we played in Seville, [Bernat] was the only reason that we were close to being eliminated, that same day we decided that we would sell him for his s--t play. Bayern's luck and fortune does not depend on whether Bernat plays at Bayern."
Bernat, 25, made one UEFA Champions League appearance for Bayern last season and was taken off at half-time in a 2-1 quarter-final first-leg win over Sevilla.
The remarks were made in a sudden press conference called on Friday, in which several of Bayern's chief board members defended under-fire coach Kovac and their players, per Marca.
Sport Witness noted the criticism of Bernat wasn't Hoeness' only fiery address in the same conference:
Bundesliga expert Archie Rhind-Tutt couldn't help but spot irony in the comments regarding respect toward players:
Bernat started in 94 of his 113 Bayern appearances over the space of four seasons, having moved to Bavaria from Valencia for a reported £7.9 million in 2014.
Bayern have no recognisable first-team alternative at left-back behind Alaba, and his Austrian compatriot Marco Friedl is on loan at Werder Bremen until June. Alaba was recently injured in a 3-0 defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach.
That being said, Alaba has made moves towards recovering and was pictured in training on Wednesday, ahead of Saturday's trip to Wolfsburg:
The defending Bundesliga champions have 15 matches currently scheduled until the winter break puts a hold on German football for one month, at which point they'll be able to sign a new defender should they wish.
Bernat may not go on to be remembered as a historic Bayern alumnus, but Hoeness' criticism could come back to haunt him should Alaba have to undergo another period on the sidelines in the coming months.