Bayern Munich: Carlo Ancelotti lost the trust of his players

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness claims Carlo Ancelotti lost the trust of at least five key players in the Bavarian locker room.

“The enemy in your bed is the most dangerous.” Uli Hoeness used this phrase to help explain why Bayern Munich sacked Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian manager lost control of his locker room, and as a result lost his job.

At least, that’s the reason Uli Hoeness gave when commenting on the matter. Per SportBild, the Bayern president blamed Ancelotti’s sacking on the lack of trust shown by Bayern players.

"“As coach, you can’t have your most prominent players as enemies. In my life, I’ve learned a saying: the enemy in your own bed is the most dangerous. That is why we had to act.“The fact that, in my opinion, in the past few days the coach turned five important players against him – Coman, too, whom he also didn’t let play – at a stroke, he never would have made it.”"

Veteran wingers Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery are surely two of those players Hoeness referenced. Mats Hummels is likely a third. The trio were all left out of Ancelotti’s starting XI in yesterday’s fateful loss to PSG.

However, a lack of trust from the players is not the only reason Ancelotti was sacked. It’s rather just the tip of the iceberg. Fans have been unsettled with Carlo for most of his tenure in Munich, as he’s never quite looked the man for the job.

Although an undeniably talented tactician, he never really managed to make Bayern Munich look like an offensive threat. And he certainly never put forth a side that was defensively sound. A lack of trust from his players might have pushed him over, but it was his stale tactics and inability to evolve with the ever-changing game that walked him right up to the proverbial edge.

Next: Bayern Munich part ways with Carlo Ancelotti

With an international break looming, Bayern Munich will be tirelessly searching for Ancelotti’s replacement. In the meantime, assistant coach Willy Sagnol will stand in as interim manager. He’ll lead die Roten from the touchline as they take on Hertha Berlin over the weekend.