Ancelotti’s problem is that Bayern Munich pride themselves on being different to most clubs. That 13 points from six games represents their worst start to a Bundesliga season in seven years. There have been bigger problems brewing than the points tally in the Bundesliga, though.
“Ancelotti had five players against him,” said club president Uli Hoeness after his sacking. “That wasn’t sustainable. I’ve learned a saying in my life – the enemy in your bed is the most dangerous. Therefore we had to act.”
The players in question, according to German broadcaster Sport1, were Mats Hummels, Thomas Müller, Franck Ribéry, Jerome Boateng and Arjen Robben.
It is worth mentioning that Hoeness didn’t reveal the identities of the players himself, but it does line up with a few things. For instance, having been 2-0 up at home to Wolfsburg on Friday night, Bayern went on to draw 2-2 – the first time in nine years they have failed to win a Bundesliga home game having held a 2-0 lead. Hummels pondered publicly after the game whether the team had been given the right tactics.
Next is Müller. After he was left on the bench against Werder Bremen in August, the forward noted: “I don’t know exactly which qualities the coach wants to see, but mine seem not to be 100 percent required.”
When Ribéry was substituted against Anderlecht earlier this month in the Champions League, he tore off his shirt and threw it against the bench.
Then you have Boateng, who didn’t even make the squad to face PSG despite being told he would be on the bench, according to Sport1.
Robben was asked whether the team was behind the coach after the defeat in Paris. “I don’t want to answer this question,” he said. “What’s important is that we stick together. Anyone who is unhappy and openly expresses that, shames the team. We have to stick together.”
Happiness evidently was not abounding and Ancelotti’s lack of communication also contributed to his downfall, as Die Welt’s Julien Wolff explained.
“Ancelotti made mistakes and did not justify his reputation as a man who can perfectly lead a group of stars,” wrote Wolff. “At critical moments with important players like Ribery, Robben and Hummels, he spoke little or not at all.”
The communication issues might have been surmountable had the displays on the pitch not been so dire. “Our team’s performances since the start of the season have not met our expectations,” said Rummenigge in the club’s statement to announce Ancelotti’s departure on Thursday.