Bayern Munich have reacted furiously to manager Hansi Flick's announcement that he wants to leave the club at the end of the season, saying that they "disapprove" of his live television declaration in a tersely-worded statement.
Bayern rebounded from their midweek Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain with a 3-2 win against Bundesliga rivals Wolfsburg on Saturday, but the result was overshadowed by Flick's post-game comments in which he revealed to the media that he had told his players he wants to leave this summer.
"I want to terminate my contract this summer – that is a fact," Flick said in his televised interview.
"It was important to me that the team finds out about it from me personally. I already told the people in charge after our Champions League elimination during the week."
Flick's announcement clearly hasn't gone down well in the corridors of power at the reigning Champions League holders.
The club released a statement of their own in which they accused their head coach of reneging on an agreement they had when he made his stance on leaving the club public.
"Yesterday, Hansi Flick, the head coach of FC Bayern, informed the public about his wish to terminate his contract, which runs until June 2023, early at the end of the current season," read the communique from the club's hierarchy.
.@FCBayern signed you as a back up and as the Manager you gave them all there is. However this ends, congratulations #HansiFlick!
— Bastian Schweinsteiger (@BSchweinsteiger) April 17, 2021
"Hansi Flick had discussed this with the board last week. Hansi Flick and Bayern agreed to focus on the games against Wolfsburg, Bayer Leverkusen and the Mainz so as not to disturb the full concentration of the entire club on these three important games.
"[The club] disapproves of the unilateral communication by Hansi Flick and will continue the talks as agreed after the game in Mainz."
Rumors of Flick's unhappiness in Munich appear to stem from tensions with the club's sporting director, Hasan Salihamidzic, with Flick himself hinting at disagreements when he suggested that that "chances of success" are greater when there is "harmony" within a football club.
Flick is widely expected to succeed Jogi Low in the German national team job after Low – for whom Flick served as as assistant for a decade – leaves the position following this summer's Euro 2020, having held the top job since 2006.
Prior to the disagreements within the club, Flick had been an unqualified success in Munich since replacing Croatian Niko Kovac in November 2019.
The 56-year-old has won more than 80 per cent of the matches he has presided over, adding six trophies to the team's silverware cabinet including the Bundesliga and the 2019-20 Champions League title.
