Hoeness delights in City struggles

Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness has revealed his pleasure at seeing Manchester City fail to challenge for honours despite spending large sums of money in strengthening their squad this season.

Hoeness is famed for keeping a tight budget having successfully controlled the finances of the record German champions during more than two decades in charge of the club, making them into Germany’s richest football club.

Their record signing is Franck Ribery for €25m euros from Marseille 18 months ago, significantly less than the £32.5m Premier League side City paid for Robinho last summer.

And a further reported €20m euros was spent this winter on Hamburg midfielder Nigel de Jong, a player who could have left the northern Germany club for only €2m euros in July.

Which is why Hoeness can only smile when he sees City losing.

“I saw the Premier League game between Stoke City and Manchester City (last weekend),” he revealed.

“I noticed that millions have been invested by certain people there very badly.

“I saw that they can do absolutely nothing, even though they were very expensive.”

Hoeness has already sent out a hands-off warning to City and any other club interested in signing Ribery.

He claims not even the sum of €100m would tempt them to sell the France international.