Bayern under pressure ahead of opener

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has fired back at Robert Lewandowski after the Poland hot-shot criticised the Bavarian giants’ spending policy.

Bayern crashed to a shock 2-0 defeat at Hoffenheim on Saturday, which left them sixth in the German league table — their worst position after the first three games since 2010-11.

The mood ahead of today’s first Champions League match at home to Anderlecht was not helped by Lewandowski telling magazine Der Spiegel that Bayern should spend big to attract more world-class players.

They set a new Bundesliga record in June by signing France midfielder Corentin Tolisso from Lyon for €41.5 million (Dh183.23 million), but Lewandowski feels Bayern risk being left behind by Europe’s top clubs.

Bayern’s president Uli Hoeness had already described the €222 million Paris Saint-Germain paid for Neymar, and the signing of Kylian Mbappe in a deal which could reach €180 million, as “madness”.

So Rummenigge has taken Lewandowski’s words as a thinly veiled attack on the club. “Apparently, Robert was irritated by the Paris transfers,” Rummenigge told German daily Bild. “He is employed by us as a footballer, he earns a lot of money and I regret his statements.”

Lewandowski is under contract until 2021 and Rummenigge has accused his agent Maik Barthel of meddling in Bayern’s business.

When Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang eclipsed Lewandowski to become the Bundesliga’s top-scorer on the final day of last season, Barthel accused Bayern’s coach Carlo Ancelotti and players of not doing enough to help him score.