The contract poker surrounding Dayot Upamecano has left its mark on FC Bayern. Although the central defender’s extension is now imminent, there has been trouble along the way – especially from honorary president Uli Hoeneß
The 74-year-old recently made no secret of how upset he was by the player’s behavior. In an interview with kicker, Hoeneß had clear words. He feared that Upamecano’s advisors „will do everything to get him out of Munich“. He said unequivocally about their actions and demands: „I am appalled by this behavior.“
Hoeneß has now received support from Michael Reschke. The former Bayern squad planner assessed the situation in an interview with the Abendzeitung newspaper and made it clear that the accusations were by no means made up out of thin air. „It has always been the case that advisors are often problematic. And if Uli Hoeneß claims this in this case, it is extremely likely that he has received the relevant information from Max Eberl, Christoph Freund or Jan-Christian Dreesen,“ explained Reschke
In fact, Säbener Straße was no longer willing to be held back. After the last contract offer had reportedly been withdrawn in the meantime, things took a turn for the worse. Upamecano took responsibility himself, approached the club management and signalled his willingness to sign. Only this step ended the months-long tug-of-war
Reschke remembers his time at Bayern
Reschke made it clear that the current case was not an isolated one. There had already been similar situations during his own time at FC Bayern between 2014 and 2017. „Back then, too, advisors sometimes drove Karl-Heinz Rummenigge or Uli Hoeneß to white heat,“ recalled the 68-year-old. At the same time, he emphasised that the club management at the time had mostly kept these conflicts internal. Both had „rarely brought this to the outside world, but always found professional answers“
Nevertheless, Reschke does not see a fundamental shift in power in favour of the advisors. „The big clubs like FCB are still powerful and turn the decisive wheel,“ he said. A clear line from the clubs is crucial. „Of course, advisors have influence and a certain amount of power, but not every player is in such an exclusive position as is currently the case with Upamecano.“