Uli Hoeneß assesses FC Bayern’s chances of winning the Champions League. One development in particular is giving the honorary president hope at the moment.
With its victory over Atlético Madrid, FC Bayern has sent a strong message in the Champions League. However, Uli Hoeneß does not see this as a guarantee of winning the title. The honorary president emphasized on BR’s “Sonntags-Stammtisch” how wide open the competition is at the top of European soccer.
“No club can say—not Real Madrid, not Manchester City, not Barcelona, not PSG—‘We’re going to win the Champions League,’” Hoeneß explained. In doing so, he placed Munich’s ambitions within the context of a highly competitive field of participants. The other European heavyweights, too, cannot count on winning the Champions League.
For Hoeneß, it is therefore crucial that Bayern belongs to this circle in sporting terms: “I believe it’s important for us that FC Bayern has managed to hold its own among the greats.”
Their most recent performance in Madrid provided a convincing argument for this. In the 2-0 win over Atlético, Munich dominated the action for long stretches and allowed only a few dangerous chances for the hosts. Lennart Karl and Konrad Laimer scored the goals. After two previous draws, the victory was also an important step in the fight for direct qualification to the Round of 16.
Hoeneß highlights Bayern’s strength as a team
Hoeneß is particularly pleased that Bayern now also stands out for its teamwork and unity. “The fact that we don’t just have the best individual players, but a team—that has been proven recently.”
It was precisely the personnel setbacks that recently put this quality to the test. With Jamal Musiala, Luis Díaz, Serge Gnabry, and Ismael Saibari, the team was missing four key offensive players in Madrid. In addition, the team had to manage without head coach Vincent Kompany, who continues to be represented by Aaron Danks.
Nevertheless, they managed a controlled away win against a tough opponent. Another victory followed on Saturday with a 2-1 win in Mainz. As a result, Bayern went into the international break as league leaders.
Hoeneß’s assessment aligns with observations from within the team. After the Mainz game, Joshua Kimmich also highlighted the team’s growing cohesion. The midfielder described the calm within the club and the mutual support—despite the numerous absences—as important changes compared to earlier phases.