Bayern Munich's outspoken honorary president, Uli Hoeness, has launched a scathing attack on Liverpool, accusing their squad of being filled with greedy 'superstars' and claiming manager Arne Slot has broken a major promise to summer signing Florian Wirtz.
'They Need Five Footballs': Hoeness's Stinging Critique
In explosive comments to German media, the 73-year-old Bayern chief asserted that Liverpool's disappointing season is a direct result of their squad composition. "They spent £500 million and are having a disastrous season," Hoeness stated via Bild. "In my opinion, that's because they only have superstars. I always say: 'Liverpool will soon have to play with five balls because the stars won't give up any of them.'"
Hoeness, who was part of the Bayern executive team that failed to sign Wirtz before his £116 million move to Anfield, directed particular sympathy towards the young German playmaker. He claimed that Slot had promised Wirtz the pivotal number 10 role and to build the new Liverpool team around him, a promise that has allegedly been broken.
"Poor Florian Wirtz doesn't even get a ball because [Mohamed] Salah and [Dominik] Szoboszlai and all the others want to play with their own," Hoeness added, highlighting the on-pitch struggles he perceives.
The Broken Promise and a Slow Start
Elaborating on the broken pledge, Hoeness said via journalist Fabrizio Romano: "Slot promised Wirtz something he is clearly not delivering now: to build the new team around him with the number 10 shirt. That was nonsense. He got the number 7 shirt, and the new team is clearly not playing around Florian Wirtz."
The 22-year-old German international has indeed experienced a challenging start to his Premier League career. Despite a bright performance in the 2-0 win over West Ham, Wirtz is yet to register a goal or an assist in the league. He has often been deployed on the left flank rather than in his preferred central role.
Statistics underline his peripheral involvement so far: with just 521 touches in the Premier League this season, he ranks ninth in the Liverpool squad and has less than half the involvement of key players like Virgil van Dijk and Szoboszlai.
Bayern's Bitter Transfer Miss
The backdrop to Hoeness's criticism is Bayern's own failed pursuit of Wirtz. Hoeness revealed he was personally informed by Wirtz's father, Hans-Joachim, that his son would not be joining the Bavarian giants, opting instead for the challenge of the Premier League after his successful spell at Bayer Leverkusen.
Bayern president Jan-Christian Dreesen also commented on the summer snub, albeit more diplomatically. "FC Bayern is one of the best clubs in Europe and in the world. Our appeal among fans, but also among players, is huge," Dreesen stated. "The fact that not every player ends up with us is part of the package, as it is at other big clubs."
He then took a veiled dig at Liverpool's exclusion from the upcoming Club World Cup, stating: "But everyone knows: with FC Bayern you can win everything every year, you participate in all competitions; the next Club World Cup is a good example of that... Just look at which clubs are represented and, above all, which are not."
While Wirtz seeks to adapt and justify his record-breaking fee, the war of words from Munich adds another layer of intrigue to his Anfield journey, framing it as a tale of broken promises and a battle for influence in a star-studded dressing room.
