The decision to part company with Jürgen Klinsmann had been “a hard one” taken only “after deliberating for several hours,” Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told a news conference at the club’s Säbener Strasse facility on Monday afternoon. The chairman, fellow board directors Uli Hoeneß and Karl Hopfner, and team manager Christian Nerlinger, met on Sunday to discuss the situation at the club after Bayern’s 1-0 home defeat to Schalke. A videotext link kept the participants informed about Wolfsburg’s 2-0 defeat in Cottbus, a surprise result which means FCB still retain realistic hopes of defending their Bundesliga crown, but even that failed to affect the outcome of the meeting.
“At this stage of the season, a decision like this can’t be dependent on an outstanding Cottbus side sensationally beating Wolfsburg,” Hoeneß commented. “We have to ask ourselves this: What are we seeing on our home ground? Since Christmas, and with very few exceptions, it’s not been what we were hoping for.”
Danger of missed targets
Exits from the DFB Cup and the Champions League, and a number of missed opportunities in the title race, had given the board “plenty to ponder,” the FCB general manager related. “We’ve lost all the important games - in Hamburg, Berlin, Wolfsburg, at home to Schalke and against Leverkusen in the cup. We’ve reacted to this negative trend, and acted because we’re afraid of failing to hit our targets.”
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