Thaindian News

Munich, Nov 8 (DPA) Italy striker Luca Toni and Germany defender Philipp Lahm can expect to be disciplined by Bayern Munich amid media reports of a “crisis” at Germany’s most successful Bundesliga club.
A newspaper interview by Lahm highly critical of transfer policies has left the club management seething, while Toni left the stadium Saturday after being substituted at half-time against Schalke 04.

German media Sunday said both can expect stiff fines or even suspensions and agreed that Bayern - eighth in the league and facing elimination from the Champions League - are in a sporting crisis.

Bild am Sonntag, saying Bayern had been plunged into “total chaos”, reported that Lahm can expect to receive a fine in five figures for his interview in Saturday’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

“You can be assured that he will regret this interview,” general manager Uli Hoeness told reporters after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Schalke.

“It was not exactly wise to do this interview before such an important match. He should have known better. We will discuss this with him (next week).”

Toni meanwhile demonstrated his frustration by driving away from the stadium after being taken off at half-time by coach Louis van Gaal.

“That wasn’t right. We will have to talk about that as well next week,” Hoeness said.

Van Gaal said: “That wasn’t good for the team and it wasn’t good for Luca Toni.”

Lahm has upset the management with his criticism of transfer policies over the last few years and the lack of a playing philosophy, while also taking a swipe at the team’s midfield.

The interview has followed a midweek 2-0 home defeat against French club Girondins Bordeaux which has left Bayern teetering on the brink of Champions League elimination, and was published ahead of Saturday’s visit by fourth-placed Schalke.

The match did nothing to ease the problems for van Gaal who saw his side fail to overcome a defensive Schalke despite enjoying most of the play.

“Our goal was to beat Schalke, but we’ve unfortunately not managed that,” van Gaal said.

“We didn’t play well for the first 10 minutes, but we dominated the game after that. We had chances, but we kept coming up inches short. That has to improve. I’m really frustrated about not scoring in the second half, because we’d have deserved a goal.”

Hoeness said Bayern were “having no luck at all at the moment” and that “you can never be satisfied with failure to win at home.”

However Hoeness conceded that Bayern have been missing the creativity of injured France midfielder Franck Ribery and Dutch winger Arjen Robben, who is now returning to full fitness.

Robben came on as substitute at half-time for Toni and escaped with a yellow card after angrily shoving over Lukas Schmitz following a foul for which the Schalke midfielder was also booked.

“We can’t be satisfied with the result, but compared to the Bordeaux game in midweek, the match as such was a great deal better,” Hoeness said.