Munich, February 17 – Uli Hoeneß, the 74-year-old honorary president of FC Bayern Munich, has launched a scathing critique of German politics, calling for more work in the country and revealing his greatest nightmare. In the second part of a “Bild” interview, Hoeneß even suggested a possible move from Germany under certain circumstances.
Hoeneß: AfD Rule is My Biggest Nightmare
When asked if living in a country ruled by the AfD would be his biggest nightmare, Hoeneß responded, “Yes. We have had an apartment in Switzerland for almost 50 years – that would be an alternative for our family if necessary.”
Criticism of Scholz and Baerbock, Praise for Merz
Hoeneß used the interview to sharply criticize the previous German government and the Verdi trade union. He offered praise for the current Chancellor, Friedrich Merz. The CDU leader, according to Hoeneß, has managed to “turn around Germany’s catastrophic external image of the last four years.” He stated that Germany is once again acting as a leader in Europe and demonstrating responsibility, adding, “Merz impressively demonstrated this with his speech at the Munich Security Conference.”
Hoeneß also noted that it was positive that Merz, not Olaf Scholz, was sitting next to Donald Trump and JD Vance at the American President’s visit to the White House, referring to the former SPD Chancellor Scholz. Hoeneß sharply criticized former Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock of the Green Party when asked about her calls for a boycott of this summer’s FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. “That is symbolic political nonsense to me,” Hoeneß said.
For him, it was significant “that Ms. Baerbock was among the first to want to drag sports – as was the case with Qatar – into something it cannot solve.” The current President of the UN General Assembly had told ntv on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos: “It doesn’t matter whether it’s about international politics, economics or sport. If you don’t have a basic set of rules that everyone adheres to, then a football World Cup simply doesn’t work.”
Baerbock Later Opposed World Cup Boycott
However, Baerbock later clearly rejected a boycott in an interview with the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland: “That would also affect Canada and Mexico, who are also hosts.” She also stated that she saw no point in “conducting necessary political debates at the expense of athletes who have worked towards a championship for years.”
Hoeneß Slams Verdi Union: Germans Must Work More
Hoeneß also expressed his incomprehension regarding the Verdi trade union. “Trade unions and employers have just reached an agreement in the collective bargaining dispute over public services. I think it’s perfectly fine that employees will earn more. What was not okay at all was that Verdi demanded that working hours be reduced from 38 to 35 hours,” Hoeneß said. “The solution for Germany is not to work less – but more! As a society, we are certainly not better off if a few officials introduce such insane ideas into the world.” He concluded that there was no question “that we Germans have to work more again.”
