We were hung out to dry, says angry Bayern official

BERLIN: Bayern Munich’s bitter Champions League exit to Real Madrid in extra time on Tuesday left the team in ruins, CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said, but the German champions need to regroup quickly if they are to defend their domestic double.

The Bavarians cancelled out their 2-1 quarter-final first- leg defeat to take the game to extra time in Madrid.

But Arturo Vidal was sent off with a controversial second booking, and they eventually lost 4-2 - 6-3 on aggregate - to miss out on the biggest club prize in Europe. In addition, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was ruled out for eight weeks with a broken foot.

Two of Cristiano Ronaldo’s three goals looked off side, adding to Bayern’s anger with the referee’s decisions as they were eliminated by a Spanish team for the fourth straight time in the competition. One of Bayern’s goals also looked off side.

“We were hung out to dry, that’s what happened,” Rummenigge told a post-match dinner in the early hours of yesterday. “I am furious, so furious tonight as I have never been.”

“The team was literally in ruins in the changing room,” he said. “Anyone wanting to blame the team tonight must have watched a different film.”

The Germans yesterday also filed a complaint with European soccer body UEFA over what the club said were police attacks on Bayern fans during halftime inside the stadium.

“Bayern consider the Spanish police behaviour as completely out of place and exaggerated,” it said in a statement. “Bayern will demand an explanation for the actions from the Spanish police.”

They may be out of Europe, but they can still turn the season into a domestic success with two titles. They have to do it, though, without Neuer, who will miss the final stretch of the season.

Bayern, leading by eight points in the Bundesliga with five matches remaining, also host rivals Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup last four next week. – Reuters