Bayern Munich have returned to Germany to face a torrent of abuse after last night’s 2-1 defeat at Deportivo Coruna knocked the 2001 European champions out of the Champions League.
Th reaction froom the press was one of derision, perhaps best summed up by a headline in the country’s biggest selling newspaper, Bild, which simply stated: ‘Night of shame.’
‘It’s over, gone, adios! The all-or-nothing match in La Coruna turned into a night of shame. The most humiliating moment ever for the famed Bayern Munich side,’ the paper continued.
Before the season kicked-off, the club’s galaxy of stars was labelled the best-ever Bayern Munich team by the club’s chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. However, the summer signings of Michael Ballack and Ze Roberto from Bayer Leverkusen along with Sebastian Deisler from Hertha Berlin, have so far proved disastrous for the club and have weakened coach Ottmar Hitzfeld’s position at the club.
The Bayern coach was candid in his assessment of his side’s performance, noting that the early elimination would harm Bayern’s reputation in Europe.
‘This was a bitter defeat and huge disappointment,’ said Bayern trainer Ottmar Hitzfeld.
‘We damaged the name of Bayern Munich,’ said Hitzfeld. ‘We were very weak.’
Meanwhile, Rummenigge hinted that Bayern may be forced to sell players as a result of the reduced revenues caused by last night’s exit.
‘This leaves behind a big financial hole that we will have to close somehow,’ he said. ‘This was a bit of a nightmare after five successful years,’ Rummenigge added.
‘It’s not only a disappointment. It’s a humiliation and a disgrace.’
Bayern reached at least the quarter-finals of European club soccer’s premier event in each of the last five seasons, twice making the final and lifting the trophy in 2001.
