Uli Hoeness backtracks after Bayern Munich threaten to boycott German national

Uli Hoeness has made a U-turn after making a threat to deprive the German national team of Bayern Munich players if Manuel Neuer is dropped for Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Neuer and German goalkeeping rival Marc-Andre ter Stegen have been involved in a petty war of words recently over the No 1 spot, with the latter becoming frustrated with a lack of game time.

And Bayern president Hoeness had initially got involved in the debate, threatening to stop players from Germany’s biggest club joining up with the national team if Joachim Low decides to replace Neuer with Ter Stegen between the sticks. 

Manuel Neuer has been involved in a petty war of words with Marc-Andre ter Stegen

Ter Stegen has become frustrated at his lack of game time for the German national team

But the Bayern president has now backtracked on his threat towards the 2014 World Cup winners.  

‘Mr. Hoeness held discussions about the position of the number one in the national team that, with hindsight, he would not hold today,’ a spokesperson told German weekly Der Spiegel.

‘The subject has long been closed for him, and he will not comment on it anymore.’

Under FIFA rules, Bayern could have faced sanctions running from fines to exclusion from competitions for depriving the national team of players.

This will come as a relief to Low, who is trying to rebuild his Germany squad with young and exciting players ahead of the 2020 Euros, after Hoeness originally claimed Bayern wouldn’t ‘accept’ Neuer being replaced. 

‘Before that takes place, we won’t be sending any more national players,’ the Bayern president initially told Sport Bild after the Champions League match against Red Star Belgrade.

Uli Hoeness (right) had initially threatened a boycott of the national team if Neuer is dropped

A boycott would have led to a potential headache for Germany head coach Joachim Low

‘We will never accept that there will be a change here,’ he added.  

The Bavarian president had rejected the chance to hold a conversation with Low in the future if the opportunity arises: ‘He’ll already hear what we’ve said, his ears will ring.’ 

Bild recently confronted German national team manager Oliver…