FC Bayern München's honorary president Uli Hoeneß described an AfD government as his biggest nightmare in a „Bild“ interview and might leave Germany under such circumstances. He praises Chancellor Friedrich Merz for improving Germany's international image and criticizes the previous government as well as the Verdi union.
Uli Hoeneß, the 74-year-old honorary president of FC Bayern München, expressed sharp political views in the second part of an interview with „Bild“. Asked if an AfD government would be his biggest nightmare, he replied: „Yes. We have had an apartment in Switzerland for almost 50 years - that would be an alternative for our family if necessary.“
Hoeneß praised the current Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU. He had managed to turn around the „catastrophic external presentation of Germany in the last four years“, so that Germany now appears as a leadership force in Europe and shows responsibility. Merz proved this emphatically with his „impressive speech at the Munich Security Conference“. Hoeneß also emphasized that it was good that now Merz, and not Olaf Scholz anymore, sits next to Donald Trump and JD Vance in the White House.
Hoeneß criticized the previous government, particularly former Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock of the Greens. Regarding calls for a boycott of the 2026 Football World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, he said: „That is symbolic political nonsense for me“. He accused Baerbock of dragging sports into unsolvable problems, as with Qatar. Baerbock had said to n-tv on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos: „It doesn't matter whether it's about international politics, economy, or sports. If there is no basic set of rules that everyone adheres to, a football World Cup simply doesn't work.“ Later, however, she rejected a boycott: „That would also affect Canada and Mexico, who are co-hosts.“ She saw no merit in „conducting necessary political debates on the backs of athletes who have worked towards a championship for years“.
Hoeneß also criticized the Verdi union for demanding a reduction in working hours from 38 to 35. After the agreement in the tariff dispute over the public sector, he found higher wages okay, but: „The solution for Germany is not to work less - but more!“ He stressed: „It is beyond question that we Germans need to work more again“.
