Mario Goetze admits he is not happy with his status at Bayern Munich, while manager Pep Guardiola has come under heavy criticism following the club's humbling Champions League semifinal exit to Real Madrid.
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Three days on form the 5-0 aggregate loss to Carlo Ancelotti's side, the German media continue to discuss Bayern's fall from the European throne, with kicker dedicating four pages to the unfolding crisis under the headline "more problems than titles."
Several players have voiced their unhappiness about their current status at Bayern, with a number linked with summer transfers.
When Goetze announced his shock transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Bayern in spring 2013, the Germany international was dubbed the "best young player in the world" by Germany legend Guenter Netzer.
A year on from the 37 million euro transfer, Goetze has found himself on the bench on a number of occasions, and did not start in either semifinal leg against Real Madrid.
"Of course, I am not happy. But I will continue to step on the gas. I hope that I will get the trust of the coach soon," the 21-year old midfielder told Bild.
Goetze has made 40 appearances for Bayern in the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and Champions League this season.
He has started 29 games, come off the bench 11 times and was substituted in 16 matches, scoring 12 goals and providing 11 assists.
The former BVB star is one of a few players appearing to have lost momentum in recent months.
In an in-depth analysis of Bayern's problems, kicker singles out Pep Guardiola as the key to the crisis.
What makes it particularly striking is the sheer force of how Guardiola comes under fire from Germany's leading football magazine, which is not known to be too critical of the Bundesliga champions.
"Pep Guardiola has tattered a squad that was absolutely intact, both from a human and sporting perspective," chief reporter Karlheinz Wild commented in his op-ed article headlined: "Pep Guardiola follows in the footsteps of Louis van Gaal."
Wild, like many other German journalists in recent weeks, blames Guardiola for his "the Bundesliga is over" statement, which has led to concerns on and off the pitch.
"Internal phenomena need to be sorted out. They -- even if, right now, they are not as dramatic -- are reminiscent of Louis van Gaal," Wild wrote, and hinted at "problems on a personal level" between players and coach.
Kicker then focused on "how under Guardiola a 7-0 against Barcelona [in the 2013 Champions League semifinal] turned into a 0-5 against Real", the lack of a Plan B against Los Blancos' counter attacks, the zonal marking during set-pieces as well as the use of Bastian Schweinsteiger in a defensive role.
"Given this squad, the dream to defend the Champions League title as the first club ever had been realistic. It has ruthlessly been destroyed. Guardiola wants to stick to his style," kicker said.
A page on, the paper headlined "four players, four problems." Kicker again claimed that Schweinsteiger is played "in the wrong place" as he needs a defensive back-up like Spain international Javi Martinez, who has been "degraded to a part-time worker", and, according to kicker, would be welcomed at FC Barcelona anytime."
Even Thomas Mueller, who, like Goetze, has not been happy with his role at the club in recent weeks, has reportedly internally addressed his discontent with the situation.
"Mueller can deliver a strong argument: Louis van Gaal wants to bring him to Manchester United, should he be the next manager at the club. And right now it looks like this will happen. Then Mueller will also be interested," kicker said.
Franck Ribery, who could face a ban for his slap in the face of Real Madrid right back Daniel Carvajal, could also be a cause for Guardiola's concern, says kicker.
Guardiola defended his style in a prematch news conference on Friday morning, stating: "All I have are my ideas...We will play with my ideas. Otherwise I can't train here, if I had to say something I don't feel.
"That would not be good for the club and the players, who are very intelligent and visceral. They would not trust me otherwise. And in the end the club needs to decide whether this coach with those ideas is the best for the club. But that's not my thing.
Guardiola insists that Bayern fell to Real Madrid due to not having enough of the ball, despite official statistics showing that Die Roten enjoyed 63 percent possession.
"I am more and more and more convinced of my idea. Why did we lose? Because we were bad in the first half. We did not have the ball. I am strong. I received a lot of criticism, not only here but also in Spain. But that's my job.
"When you lose 4-0, you can'y expect that the people help me. That's normal. Looking at our first half, I deserve all the criticism I get. I need to accept that. The big defeat will stay in my head and heart forever. You can't forget it."