Uli Hoeneß Slams Player Agents: "We Must Weed Out the Rip-Offs"

Uli Hoeneß, honorary president of FC Bayern Munich, has once again voiced strong criticism against football player agents, reaffirming his long-standing aversion to them.

During an event honoring Wolfgang Steubing, the former chairman of Eintracht Frankfurt's supervisory board, Hoeneß reiterated his view that a large number of agents in the football business are primarily driven by financial gain.

"When a player moves abroad or comes from abroad today, he needs an agent. There are many reputable agents, and there are many rip-offs. We all must succeed in weeding out the rip-offs," Hoeneß declared.

For the 74-year-old, it is crucial "that the agent doesn't think he has to earn more than the player. Sometimes there are ten million for three lunches, that cannot be," Hoeneß stated. He announced that FC Bayern intends to develop a strategy in the coming months to counter the sometimes exorbitant demands of certain agents.

The FCB honorary president also recalled a previous failed attempt by the G14, a former association of European top clubs, to introduce a salary cap. This initiative collapsed after just four weeks when AC Milan allegedly violated it.

Hoeneß's Strong Criticism of Agents: Past Examples

In the past, Hoeneß has repeatedly clashed verbally with agents of Bayern players. In 2020, during contract extension talks, he famously called Pini Zahavi, David Alaba's agent, a "money-hungry piranha."

Similar complications arose during the signing of central defender Dayot Upamecano. At that time, Hoeneß explained: "In the Upamecano case, the agents wanted to either drive up the price with us or push him to another club, and as a thank you, we were supposed to pay them a signing bonus. That is a contradiction in itself, which we should no longer accept."

After tough negotiations, FC Bayern ultimately withdrew its offer, which prompted Upamecano to reconsider his position.