BERLIN: Former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness said in an interview published on Friday the club had no alternative but firing chief executive Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.
Hoeness explained the club needed to take action, with news of the sacking becoming known just moments after Bayern won their 11th straight Bundesliga title.
鈥淭he overall development was simply too unsatisfactory鈥� Hoeness told newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, referring to the club鈥檚 poor second half of the season.
Nine points ahead of Borussia Dortmund at Christmas, Bayern entered the final round of the season two points behind.
Their 2-1 win over Cologne in the last match of the campaign, along with Dortmund鈥檚 2-2 draw against Mainz, meant they won the title on goal difference.
Bayern sacked Kahn and Salihamidzic on Thursday, but did not tell the players or make the news public until moments after the full-time whistle.
Captain Thomas Mueller found out in a post-match interview, after putting on a t-shirt commemorating the win.
Hoeness, who played for Bayern before running the club in various capacities for decades, revealed 鈥渘obody鈥� at the club was consulted about the decision to fire coach Julian Nagelsmann in March.
鈥淓ven Herbert Hainer (Bayern president) was informed far too late... and something like that simply doesn鈥檛 work.鈥�
While saying that Salihamidzic 鈥渞emained a good sporting director,鈥� Hoeness said former goalkeeper Kahn had not done enough work in the sporting department.
鈥淥liver had defined his role for himself in such a way that he largely stayed out of sports. Yet sport is the main task.
鈥淥ur product is football鈥� the 71-year-old added.