Karl-Heinz Rummenigge likes speaking about Manchester United. When the club were repeatedly linked with a move for Thomas Muller, it was largely the Bayern Munich boss who encouraged it.
Rummenigge always seemed happy to give quotes to the German media, sometimes more than once a week, explaining how Manchester Untied had made yet another effort to sign Muller, and had yet again been turned down.
When Rummenigge and Bayern Munich were ushering Bastian Schweinsteiger out of the German giants, Manchester United was a perfect solution. Rather than Bayern looking like they were dumping a club legend, it instead looked like he was off to explore new opportunities.
Now Schweinsteiger has reportedly been banished at Manchester United, as Jose Mourinho tries to force a transfer. Rummenigge isn’t happy.
Quoted by german newspaper Bild, Rummenigge stated: “At Bayern there has never been such a thing. I can’t believe it.”
The Bayern boss then added that players will think twice in the future about going to a club that behaves in such a way.
Rummenigge may well be going over the top, but Manchester United haven’t handled this well at all. If banishment is the only way Mourinho thought he could get Schweinsteiger to go then he’s not using his experience or imagination.
Earlier this week, the day before the banishment claims, Bild reported that Schweinsteiger wanted to stay, and hadn’t even been asked by Mourinho to leave… there had been no chat.
This flexing of muscles, if indeed any of it is true, looks more for dramatics and show than the good of the club. And, should the German leave, Manchester United will almost certainly once again be seeing a player leave for virtually nothing, and they may even have to subsidise it.
That’s what happens when you trash your own players.
