After a week of testing in training, Bayern Munich finally gave up recruiting defender Jérôme Boateng, the club announced on Friday, criticized due to ongoing legal proceedings against the player. Formerly of the Bavarian house from 2011 to 2021 and double winner of the Champions League with Bayern (2013 and 2020), Jérôme Boateng has been free since the expiration of his contract in Lyon on June 30, 2023.
Since Sunday, he has participated in several training sessions on the grounds of Säbener Strasse, the headquarters of Bayern. “He behaved well, he trained well,” Thomas Tuchel explained at a press conference earlier on Friday.
“This decision does not only have a sporting component,” added Tuchel, referring to “an emergency situation in central defense” which led Bayern to ask themselves the question of recruiting the 35-year-old player. “Considering all aspects, Bayern has decided to give up hiring Jérôme Boateng,” Bayern finally decided at the start of the evening, however offering the defender the possibility “to keep in shape” at the club.
Lately, Boateng has been more talked about off the field. Sentenced in September 2021 to 1.8 million euros for violence against his ex-partner for acts dating back to 2018, he saw his fine reduced on appeal to 1.2 million euros.
On Wednesday, Bavaria’s highest court granted the three parties’ requests for review, overturning the conviction on appeal and ordering new proceedings for the same facts.
Bayern was looking for an emergency solution with the 2014 world champion, while it only has three trained central defenders, the Frenchman Dayot Upamecano, the Dutchman Matthijs De Ligt and the South Korean Kim Min-jae. After the injuries to these three defenders, “TT” had to line up defensive midfielder Leon Goretzka in central defense, for the 32nd final of the German Cup against Münster (4-0).