Bayern Munich are struggling to let Florian Wirtz‘s decision to snub them for Liverpool this summer go, with their honorary president the latest to throw his two cents in.
Board member and honorary president Uli Hoeness has never been shy of sharing his opinion.
After Wirtz turned down Bayern in favour of a £116 million move to Liverpool in the summer, Hoeness appears to be holding a grudge against the Reds.
“They (Liverpool) spent €500 million and are having a disastrous season,” Hoeness said, via Bild.
09.04.2011, easy Credit Stadion, Nuernberg, GER, 1.FBL, 1. FC Nuernberg / N¸rnberg vs FC Bayern M¸nchen / Muenchen, im Bild:.Karl-Heinz Rumenigge (links) mit Uli Hoene? / Hoeness (rechts).EXPA Pictures © 2011, PhotoCredit: EXPA/ nph/ Will ****** out of GER / SWE / CRO / BEL ******
• READ: Florian Wirtz explains why “freedom” given by Arne Slot is benefitting Liverpool
“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.
“Poor Florian Wirtz, he doesn’t even get a ball because Salah and Szoboszlai and all the others want to play with their own.”
Hoeness clearly doesn’t watch a lot of Liverpool if he thinks Dominik Szoboszlai being selfish is a problem. However, he may have some semblance of a point regarding Mo Salah.
Wirtz played much better as a No. 10 without the Egyptian in the same team against West Ham, with Szobozlai offering a better press and greater defensive solidity on the right.
That isn’t to say Wirtz and Salah can’t play together – they are both world-class footballers who should be able to combine – but in a way, they are both doing similar jobs, just from different positions.
LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, November 30, 2025: Liverpool's Florian Wirtz challis challenged by West Ham United's Lucas Paquetá during the FA Premier League match between West Ham United FC and Liverpool FC at the London Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Salah has become more of a creator than ever in the last two years, producing 23 assists last season in all competitions.
Creator-in-chief is clearly a role that suits Wirtz best, too, though, and it is surely the vision Slot sold him in the summer.
Hoeness added: “Slot promised Wirtz something that he’s now clearly not keeping, building the new team around him with the No. 10 shirt. That was rubbish.
“He got the No. 7 shirt and the new team is clearly not playing around Florian Wirtz.
“I feel terribly sorry for Florian Wirtz. Everything went through him in Leverkusen. In Liverpool, he gets five passes in a half and if he loses the ball twice, he gets a bad rating.”
Don’t worry, Uli. We’re sure Liverpool will come good with Wirtz at the centre of things in the future, and you’ll be able to enjoy it!