Jerome Boateng happy to remain at Bayern Munich as he hails impact of manager Hansi Flick’s arrival
Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng announces he is happy to remain at the club despite interest from Arsenal and Chelsea as he hails the impact of manager Hansi Flick’s arrival.
The 32-year-old is set to enter the final 12 months of his contract at Bayern and has been linked with an exit from the Allianz Arena for some time as a new deal with the club is yet to be agreed.
Arsenal and Chelsea are among a host of clubs looking to invest in Boateng, though the German claims he is happy under new manager Hansi Flick.
Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng announced that he is happy to remain at the club
The 32-year-old German hailed the impact of manager Hansi Flick’s arrival for his decision
Having fallen out of favour under former boss Niko Kovac, Boateng was actively seeking a new club for the summer. However, the arrival of Flick has seen the defender miss just one Bundesliga game in 2020, which was due to a yellow-card suspension rather than his performance.
‘Before Hansi Flick, I was already thinking about my future,’ Boateng admitted to Welt am Sonntag. ‘At the moment I feel good and can imagine that I will stay. My focus is totally on Bayern and the current season.
‘I need the trust of the coach and his coaching team. I have it again. Even before the time with Hansi Flick, I trained well and hard, but I was not allowed to play and never had the chance to get into my rhythm. It is difficult for every player.
‘Hansi Flick told me right from the start that he was planning with me and appreciated my qualities. Now I’m really enjoying football again.’
The Germany international joined Bayern in 2011 after a single season at Manchester City and has gone on to make 310 appearances and score eight goals for the club.
During his time at Bayern, Boateng has lifted the Bundesliga title seven times, while he also won the 2014 World Cup with his home nation.
Boateng explained how he had fallen out of favour under former Bayern boss Niko Kovac
During his time at Bayern he has won the league seven times and the World Cup once in 2014
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Boateng says the emphasis should not fall solely on footballer’s wages.
He states that footballers are one of many well-paid professions and the stereotype of all footballs being flashy is unjust.
Before revealing how Bayern players would be willing to take a pay-cut during the crisis, despite the Bundesliga being back underway.
‘It depends on where the money goes,’ he said. ‘Generally, I think it is possible.
‘I don’t think people should point their finger at professional footballers. Everyone should be a bit more humble during these times.
‘A photo posted on social media doesn’t necessarily say anything about the player’s life. Just because a footballer spends money does not mean that he donates nothing, or that he is arrogant.
‘For example, Cristiano Ronaldo posts photos from private jets, and he donates millions. Other players don’t post things like that, but they live similarly. Everyone has their own lifestyle and can decide for themselves. I think it’s important not to generalise here.’
