Bayern Munich have announced that journalists for two English newspapers will not receive accreditation for next week’s game against Manchester United as a result of “personally insulting” headlines concerning Bastian Schweinsteiger.
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Schweinsteiger scored the equaliser before being shown a second yellow card at the end of Bayern’s 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal with United. On Wednesday, The Sun covered the story under the headline “You Schwein” while the back page of the Daily Mirror read: “You Dirty Schwein.”
Bayern have now announced that, as a result of the puns, journalists from the two tabloids will not be permitted to attend the return match at the Allianz Arena next Wednesday.
A statement on the club’s official website read: “The ‘coverage’ about our player Bastian Schweinsteiger in the English media outlets ‘Daily Mirror’ and ‘The Sun’ was without respect, discriminatory and personally insulting. FC Bayern do not accept this kind of coverage and condemn it utterly.
“Particularly in the Champions League, UEFA -- with a huge campaign -- appeals to the European audience to show ‘Respect.’ All players wore this word on their shirts and all participants in the competition are obliged to maintain ‘Respect.’”
The statement pointed to the fact that Bayern were fined and handed a partial stadium ban after their supporters displayed a homophobic banner mocking Mesut Ozil during their victory over Arsenal in the previous round of the Champions League and said: “We accept that.”
It continued: “FC Bayern Munich will not hand any accreditation to ‘Daily Mirror’ or ‘The Sun’ representatives for the Champions League return leg Bayern Munich versus Manchester United on April 9.”
Dan Silver, the head of sport for Mirror Online, said he believed the German champions had misunderstood the intention behind the pun.
@Dakeb_MCFC I think they thought we were calling Basti a pig and took offence, rather than merely punning his name. But could be linked
— Dan Silver (@DanSilverMirror) April 3, 2014
Bayern coach Pep Guardiola showed frustration when dealing with the English media in his news conference after the match at Old Trafford.
Guardiola appeared agitated when, having been questioned on his view that Schweinsteiger’s dismissal was harsh, he was pressed on his remarks that Bayern had to contend with “nine players in the box” when playing the English champions.
When asked by a Guardian journalist whether that meant he believed United boss David Moyes had adopted a negative approach, he said: “I didn't say that. I didn't say that. That [Moyes] is my colleague, I respect my colleague and my colleague can play… look at me when I talk to you. Yeah, look at me when I talk to you. I'm talking to you and you look at that [gesturing to the door]. I am trying to explain.”