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Bayern boss Hoeneß steps down – for now

Uli Hoeneß is set to announce on Monday that he will temporarily resign as Bayern Munich president after the Champions League final until the investigation into his tax affairs is concluded, according to a report.

Bayern boss Hoeneß steps down - for now
Photo: DPA

The 61-year-old has come under pressure to quit after reports that he was arrested on March 20, then released on bail for €5 million euros as part of an investigation into unpaid taxes.

According to magazine Der Spiegel, Hoeneß will make his announcement at Monday’s executive board meeting.

The report claims, the Bayern board, which contains several major figures in German industry, had wanted Hoeneß to resign permanently as president before the Champions League final against rivals Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on May 25th.

But after last Wednesday’s 3-0 victory in Barcelona gave Bayern a 7-0 semi-final win on aggregate, the fans’ euphoria forced the board into a change of heart and Hoeneß will be allowed to stay in office until the final.

In an interview last week with German newspaper Die Zeit, Hoeneß had ruled out resigning before the European final, but admitted he was “in hell” due to the tax evasion allegations.

Reports first broke on April 20 that Hoeneß had substantial sums of cash in a Swiss account and had failed to pay millions of euros in tax on the interest.

The revelations sparked huge controversy in election-year Germany, which is looking to crack down on tax evasion, and even German Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted she was “disappointed” in Hoeneß’ conduct.

AFP/jcw

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RACISM

VIDEO: Spain’s La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

Spain's La Liga on Monday said it was reviewing a video of a child making racist insults towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the 2-2 draw with Valencia at the weekend.

VIDEO: Spain's La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

“We’re in the process of studying and analysing the facts from a legal standpoint to see what we can and should do,” La Liga sources said.

In a video published by a journalist for ESPN Brasil, and picked up by Spanish media, a boy sitting in a woman’s lap can be heard calling Vinicius a “monkey”.

The Brazilian scored twice for Madrid as his team recovered from two goals down at Mestalla on Saturday.

Vinicius raised his fist in a “Black Power” salute after the first of his two goals at a ground where he was racially abused last season. Valencia subsequently banned three people from the stadium for life.

The 23-year-old has become a symbol of the fight against discrimination in Spanish football after suffering racist abuse on many occasions, and he was jeered repeatedly by home supporters on Saturday.

Jude Bellingham was sent off after the final whistle against Valencia for protesting after the referee blew the final whistle right before the England midfielder headed home what he thought was the winning goal.

READ ALSO: Football star Vinicius highlights racist behaviour from Spanish fans

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