The FC Bayern fitness coach asserts he's not guilty of "slander."
FC Bayern's disappointing season has been marked by poor performances and numerous injuries. The team faced phases where they had several players out due to muscle issues. This has led to criticism being directed towards Holger Broich, the fitness coach of the record champions. He is now responding strongly to these allegations.
Broich, Bayern Munich's fitness coach, has slammed the accusations that he is the primary reason for the team's numerous injuries during the lackluster 2023/24 season. Reports suggested that the assistant coach could be dismissed as many players had been sidelined with muscle injuries during their trophyless campaign.
A 49-year-old Broich spoke to "Kicker", "The truth of the matter is that we didn't play well this year and had an excessive number of injured players. However, to pinpoint one individual and point your finger at them, I find rather discouraging." Similarly, former coach Jupp Heynckes feels the criticism of Broich is "unfair". He added, "He has always made decisions with the players' best interests in mind, he knew the risk of injury for each player. That makes him exceptional, a trailblazer in his profession."
Legendary former Bayern team doctor, Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt, expressed "absolute disappointment, even anger" at the criticism of Broich. He referred to the trainer as "a top expert. This negative treatment doesn't sit right with me. As far as I can tell, he's the best fitness trainer."
The fitness coach, known as "Scientific Director and Head of Fitness" at Bayern, replied, "I find it very disappointing that just my name is being blamed for this. Where is the responsibility of the entire team, the coach, the doctors, the physical therapists? To blame me as the sole offender seems overly simplistic and cheap. We're a team."
During the past season, Bayern saw a significant rise in players missing out - some professionals even suffered more than one muscle injury during the campaign. Coach Thomas Tuchel discussed this occurrence publicly on several occasions. However, "Kicker" reported that Broich had warned internally that the training ordered by Tuchel posed a danger.
Broich is also reported to have been pursued by Barça, where former Bayern coach Hansi Flick wished to bring him back as his assistant. The doctor is a professor at a Hamburg university and has been a trailblazer in the sports scene for years.
