September 19, 2006
AFP

MUNICH, Germany – Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath received a broadside from the German giants director-general Karl-Heinz Rummenigge over what he saw as poor excuses for their shock 2-1 loss to Arminia Bielefeld last weekend.

The former German international striker said that it was time to stop making up excuses when the team played as badly as it did on Saturday.

"It is imperative that these excuses over why we lost stop," said Rummenigge, who was a member of the West German team that reached the 1982 and 1986 World Cup finals.

"I cannot do anything but demand that all the players give the best of themselves as we are entering a decisive part of the championship (Bayern are third a point off leaders Hertha Berlin)."

Magath, who has guided Bayern to the domestic double in the past two seasons, had said that the reason for the reverse – their first of the season – was down to the German Cup and the first group match of the Champions League being in the same week.

However Rummenigge said that was simply not the reason for the poor performance.

"When one plays a team like Bielefeld who are clearly inferior in every department of play to us, we have to show more quality than we did on Saturday."