During an appearance on the Sport1 program “Doppelpass”, Uli Hoeneß commented on the departure of the German national soccer team from the European Championship. The 69-year-old was particularly hard on Toni Kroos.
Bayern Honorary President Uli Hoeneß classified the performance of the resigned Toni Kroos as out of date in his analysis of the German end at the European Football Championship. “Toni Kroos has no place in football,” said the 69-year-old on Sunday in the Sport1 “one-two”. One problem for the German national team was that national coach Joachim Löw absolutely wanted to incorporate Kroos and therefore switched to a three-man chain.
The tactical adjustments made by Löw, whom he and Kroos appreciate very much, “went completely wrong,” emphasized Hoeneß. If you had played the tactics of FC Bayern Munich from the triple season, “I’m 100 percent sure that we would be different now.” Hoeneß advocated a back four and Joshua Kimmich together with Leon Goretzka in the center.
“Scared football” against England in the last sixteen
Hoeneß stated that they played “scaredy football” against England. Kroos did not even cross the middle line in the closing stages, “his way of playing is totally over”. Hoeneß certified the Real Madrid star and former Bayern professional too many cross passes.
Kroos responded to Hoeneß’s criticism and said: “Uli Hoeneß is a man with great football expertise (even if it wasn’t enough for RTL), little interest in polemics and completely at peace with himself. Similar to his greenkeeper.”
Kroos said goodbye to the national team three days after losing in the round of 16 of the European Championship. The 31-year-old made 106 international matches and was world champion with the team in Brazil in 2014.
Hoeneß criticizes the English fans
Hoeneß also gave the leading players a part of the blame for the round of 16. “I got to know our players as super self-confident guys who had a big say in Hansi Flick,” said Hoeneß. He didn’t hear anything at the EM. Usually they would talk to the coach, said the 69-year-old.
Hoeneß was also critical of the behavior of English fans before the final at Wembley. The English “behaved impossibly in all respects,” he said. It annoys him that in the context of the round of 16 England versus Germany fans turned against a little crying German girl or that the Danish anthem was whistled. That has nothing to do with “sportsmanship”, said Hoeneß.
He sees the over 60,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium with concern. These “provoke infections,” said Hoeneß. “The health of our fellow citizens is paramount. Every death is one too many. That has made the English very unappealing to me. And because of the Brexit, they are actually outside,” said the 69-year-old. In addition, the country has Boris Johnson as Prime Minister, “whom I don’t like at all”. England is still “well deserved” in the final, admits Hoeneß, who is keeping his fingers crossed for Italy.
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