Munich must overturn a 3-2 first-leg defeat with an injury-hit squad missing injured top scorer Robert Lewandowski
\nNews Agency
\nBERLIN
\nTensions at Bayern Munich between coach Hansi Flick and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic are providing an unwelcome distraction which threatens to derail the holders ahead of their crunch Champions League quarter-final return leg at Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
\nBayern must overturn a 3-2 first-leg defeat with an injury-hit squad missing injured top scorer Robert Lewandowski.
\nThe Bavarian giants have nine players sidelined by injury, suspension or, in the case of Germany winger Serge Gnabry, quarantined by Covid-19.
\nFlick resorted to fielding two reserve team players in Saturday\u2019s 1-1 home draw with Union Berlin.
\nKingsley Coman picked up a leg knock and although Flick is hopeful the French winger can recover to face his former club, both midfielder Leon Goretzka and defender Niklas Suele are struggling.
\n\u201cWe are top of the Bundesliga and have a chance to reach the Champions League semi-finals, that\u2019s my responsibility – everything else is not my thing,\u201d Flick insisted Saturday.
\nHowever, the friction between him and Salihamidzic has certainly become a \u201cthing\u201d for Flick and an unwanted distraction.
\nIn March, he revealed he had held clear-the-air talks with Salihamidzic, but tensions continue to simmer.
\nIn a passionate monologue lasting nearly five minutes on Friday, Flick admitted being \u201cfed up\u201d with constant questions about his future and, from now on, will refuse to discuss the topic. Before the weekend draw, Flick would only curtly reply \u201cNext question\u201d when asked about the obvious discord.
\nBayern\u2019s star-studded squad support Flick, but Salihamidzic holds the power due to his promotion to the club\u2019s executive board last year.
\nAs the team\u2019s spokesman, Manuel Neuer has publicly voiced his backing for Flick.
\n\u201cHe is the right coach for us, we saw that in our results last year and we would be happy if he keeps going\u201d, said he Bayern captain, before calling for \u201ca bit more calm\u201d.
\nBayern fans are also behind Flick. In a poll by Munich-based paper TZ, 89 percent want the treble-winning coach to stay on.
\nHowever, despite winning all six available titles over the last 12 months Flick, whose contract runs until 2023, seems to be on rocky ground with Salihamidzic, his immediate boss.
\nTensions flared when Salihamidzic confirmed last week that Jerome Boateng will not be offered a contract extension at the end of the season, while Flick implied he wants to keep the veteran defender.
\nIn a thinly-veiled dig at Salihamidzic\u2019s recruitment policy, Flick said last year\u2019s squad \u201cwas better\u201d. Flick has not helped his cause by refusing to rule out replacing Joachim Loew as Germany coach after the Euro 2020 finals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Munich must overturn a 3-2 first-leg defeat with an injury-hit squad missing injured top scorer Robert Lewandowski News Agency BERLIN Tensions at Bayern Munich between coach Hansi Flick and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic are providing an unwelcome distraction which threatens to derail the holders ahead of their crunch Champions League quarter-final return leg at Paris […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":185760,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-185751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n