Lothar Matthäus, the esteemed former Inter and Bayern Munich midfielder and 1990 Ballon d`Or winner, recently addressed Bayern Munich`s current state during an interview with Sky Sport. He articulated his belief that the Bavarian club is noticeably lacking the presence and influence of key figures and beloved club legends.
“If Franck Ribéry, for instance, worked as a youth coach at Bayern, it would at least be a small step,” Matthäus suggested. He further elaborated, “A fundamental problem for Bayern is their insufficient involvement of players who have made significant contributions to the club. And even when they do involve them, I get the impression there`s little genuine support.”
Matthäus cited Mehmet Scholl as a pertinent example. Scholl, who coached at Bayern from 2008 to 2010, initially managed the Under-13 team (where his son also played) before taking charge of Munich`s reserve team, which was then competing in the Third Division. Reflecting on this, Matthäus commented, “But somehow, it didn`t function correctly, perhaps because there was too much interference from above. It`s crucial to give former players the necessary trust to make decisions independently.”
He further underscored his point by providing additional examples from other clubs: “Club legends like Sebastian Kehl, Lars Ricken, and Simon Rolfes hold significant positions and make crucial decisions at other clubs. So, why are Philipp Lahm or Bastian Schweinsteiger not involved with Bayern Munich?”
