Bayern bosses angry at defeat

Bayern bosses angry at defeat

Published Feb. 6, 2011 1:21 p.m. ET

The future of Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal is again looking uncertain after Saturday's 3-2 defeat at Cologne angered club bosses.

President Uli Hoeness left the Mungersdorfer Stadion declining to comment, while chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was critical in his response to Bayern's capitulation after leading 2-0 at half time.

"The team completely lacked engagement in the second half," he said.

"That is frustrating and more than negligent."

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The defeat left Bayern 15 points adrift of league leaders Borussia Dortmund, who still managed to extend their lead at the top of the Bundesliga this weekend despite being held to a draw by Schalke on Friday night.

"Dortmund must be laughing themselves to death," said Rummenigge. "They are in a totally self-produced film.

"They only draw, yet they are still the winners."

Bayern, on the other hand, were one of the big losers of the weekend as they dropped from third to fifth, failing to take advantage of a defeat for second-placed Bayer Leverkusen and a draw for third-placed Mainz.

"Second place is our minimum goal, and we could have been there today," added Rummenigge.

"These were very important points which we are now lacking. It is annoying, more than annoying.

"Somebody has got to tell the team that a game lasts 90 minutes and not just 45."

Van Gaal's position was already precarious due to rifts with Hoeness and director of sport Christian Nerlinger in recent weeks.

The upcoming Champions League clash with Inter Milan and DFB-Pokal semi-final tie with Schalke could now be crucial in determining his future.

With a 15-point deficit on Dortmund with 13 games of the season remaining, a successful league title defence is looking increasingly unlikely.

"I probably made a mistake and have got to question my half-time team talk," Van Gaal said of the defeat.

"Maybe I was too confident, which was perhaps not good."

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