Berlin (AFP)
"Hoeness is the soul, the head and the heart of Bayern, we can not replace it!" It will be necessary, however, since the man who made Bayern Munich one of the most powerful clubs in the world must confirm Thursday its intention to leave the presidency.
At the end of the day, Uli Hoeness speaks to the Supervisory Board to detail what he has already announced: he will hand over on November 29 to Herbert Hainer, a former boss of Adidas, at the time of the election of the office. While remaining a member of the Council.
On Wednesday, former Bavarian regional president Edmund Stoiber, a former member of the Supervisory Board, described Hoeness as "soul, head and heart" of the club. Before saying that his departure, at 67 years, is due in large part to persistent dissensions with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the other "male Alpha" of Bayern.
Last season, they were particularly opposed to Niko Kovac. While Rummenigge put tremendous pressure on the coach in the tough times of the season, Hoeness has been steadfast in his support.
The episode has apparently left its mark, even if the constantly renewed image of the two former players sitting side by side in the stands, at all matches, continues to peddle the idea that Bayern is a united family.
Rummenigge himself is expected to step down as chairman of the board in January 2021 to make way for another club legend, former goaltender Oliver Kahn.
- "Father Teresa and Nelson Mandela" -
Fortune, glory and prison! The life of Uli Hoeness, son of a modest pork butcher from southern Germany, offers the perfect scenario of a Hollywood film.
Apart from the 21-month prison sentence for tax evasion, Hoeness has long been one of the most charismatic men in Bavaria.
"Uli is Father Teresa of Tegernsee (a tourist lake around Munich), the Nelson Mandela of Säbener Street (the seat of Bayern) and the Mother of all managers": the tirade, recited by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on evening of the gigantic celebration of the 60th anniversary of Uli, in 2012, was certainly humorous, but gave an idea of the public image of the man.
For the Germans, he is first of all one of the heroes of "the band in Beckenbauer" of the 70s, these gifted footballers who win three European champions champions cups consecutively (the ancestor of the Champions League), the 1972 Euro and the 1974 World Cup!
A serious knee injury, Hoeness terminated his career prematurely in 1979, but quickly revealed another form of genius ... for business.
- Tears and prison -
Bombarded at 27-year-old general manager Bayern, the youngest in history, he will gradually turn this traditional club into a thriving, important US business sports marketing ideas unknown then in Europe.
One of his best "shots"? The recruitment in 2007 of a young French international, Franck Ribéry, the centerpiece of the "Golden Decade" with, in ten seasons, seven German championship titles, and seven appearances in the last four of the Champions League (one victory in 2013, two finals in 2010 and 2012 and four semi-finals).
Elected president in 2009 (he succeeds Franz Beckenbauer), he will fall five years later, sentenced to prison for tax evasion valued at more than 28 million euros.
But Bayern will not let him go: acclaimed at the club's last general assembly before he was imprisoned, he burst into tears and said: "The club is the work of my life. fiber of my heart and it will always be so, I will serve this club until my last breath. "
On leaving prison, he is triumphantly re-elected to the presidency.
© 2019 AFP