Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke has claimed Bayern Munich felt threatened by the public affection generated by his club.
Watzke, who celebrated a decade in the role last week, told German football magazine kicker the perception of BVB as a "likeable" club that did not polarise opinion had alarmed the Bavarians.
Dortmund won back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012, and lost the Champions League final to Bayern at Wembley in 2013.
That year, they were adjudged to be best brand in German football ahead of the Bavarians for a second consecutive year.
But in the summer, Mario Gotze triggered a release clause in his contract to join Bayern, with striker Robert Lewandowski following in his footsteps a year later.
The Lewandowski switch prompted Watzke to say Bayern "have retaliated" and accuse them of wanting to "destroy" the 2012 title-winning team.
He told kicker that was not only because of Dortmund's Bundesliga wins, saying: "We also turned into a massive threat for Bayern because we have the highest sympathy ratings.
"We don't polarise as much, and come across as very likeable. Bayern analysed that.
#INSERT type:image caption:Watzke has been at the BVB helm for 10 years. END#
"In Gotze and Lewandowski, they ripped out two heartbeats -- and those were not the only Dortmund players they tried to get."
Watzke, who took over at Dortmund with the club on the brink of bankruptcy, said his outspoken style had helped raise awareness of BVB during his 10 years at the helm.
"Maximum awareness pays off in euros and cents in the long run," he said.
"You can't lead a company like Borussia Dortmund when nobody knows you and it has a backwater feel to it. You can only fight it when people know you and you go against the grain sometimes."
Dortmund's Bundesliga struggles this season have made the headlines, with the club adamant that they would stick with coach Jurgen Klopp, and Watzke said that showed the degree to which they were now recognised.
"I have always said that the second beacon does not have to be as high as the one down south," he added. "Now what's the club that attracts the most attention after Bayern, even in a relegation battle? Borussia Dortmund."