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The 32-year-old center-back has twice won the Champions League with Bayern. The club’s decision carries risks: in terms of central defense, Monaco has almost no alternatives.
Jérôme Boateng has been playing for Bayern since 2012; in summer 2021 it will end.
Tough negotiating partners sit in the ranks of FC Bayern Munich. Not only Austrian defender David Alaba had to prove it, who probably bet too much in association with his adviser: Bayern withdrew a well-paid offer to extend the contract.
Jérôme Boateng, who has played for Munich since 2012 and has gone through many highs, but also some lows, now faces a drastic decision from the German record champion: FC Bayern will not extend their contract with Boateng. According to “Bild”, Boateng was caught completely unprepared by this decision. Just recently, his Lian Sports advisor Damir Smoljan spoke optimistically to Sport 1: “We are looking forward to talking to Bayern.” Unlike Alaba, no rigid positions have been heard so far. No indiscretions, like the one that accompanied the extension of the contract of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in the spring.
Uli Hoeness called it “foreign body”
The center-back will leave the club in the summer of 2021. Boateng has won the Champions League twice with Bayern, in 2013 and in September in Lisbon. In 2014 he became world champion with the German team. At the time, he and Mats Hummels were regarded as one of the most outstanding defenders. Like four years later, when the French won the title, the German World Cup victory was based on a solid defense.
What made Boateng stand out at the time was not just a squeaky clean tackle, but a speed that allowed him to outrun even the most powerful opponents. He also mastered how to stage Bayern forwards with balls over 60 meters long. Although he was recently undisputed in terms of sport, this cannot hide the fact that more than a year ago it seemed that Boateng’s time in Munich was coming to an end: Uli Hoeness, still president at the time, called him a “foreign body ”- and publicly advised to change clubs.
In terms of sport, Bayern are playing a risky game. On the one hand, it is about protecting the club’s interests, acting economically and positioning the team for the future. It is questionable whether a 32-year-old really represents him. The Alaba and Boateng cases instead touch an extremely delicate position in the squad of Monaco: the central defense.
Hardly any alternatives in central defense
Alaba was re-proposed by left back out of necessity last season, for Boateng it was the traditional position. Austrian Alaba did his job so brilliantly, especially in the Champions League finals, that he was awarded the world class title everywhere. Boateng also achieved remarkable results in old age, although he was not as impressive as Alaba.
It is interesting, however, how the Bavarians intend to fill the gaps that are emerging: the market hardly has truly exceptional specialists available. Lucas Hernandez, Bayern’s transfer record with € 80m, only joined the team after a long injury. Additionally, designated defense chief Niklas Süle had to contend with a prolonged injury. Frenchman Tanguy Nianzou is the third central defender. He came from PSG on a free transfer, which his coach Thomas Tuchel regretted very much. Nianzou is considered a tremendous talent, but at 18 he hardly has the experience a club like Bayern needs, especially internationally.
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