Bayern Munich spent years flirting with Florian Wirtz, only for him to end up at Liverpool.
Club executives such as Uli Hoeness, Jan-Christian Dreesen, Max Eberl and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge all talked up the former Bayer Leverkusen man, but were left gutted when he chose England instead.
Honorary president Hoeness in particular went to great lengths to secure the player, spending time with his father, who is his agent, reportedly even playing chess together.
But it goes even further than that, as Hans-Joachim Wirtz has now told Der Spiegel.
“The final phone call with Uli Hoeness was very difficult for me,” he said.
“Hoeness and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge made incredible efforts on behalf of Florian Wirtz.
“Hoeness also arranged a quick surgery appointment in Innsbruck after Florian’s cruciate ligament tear in 2022. We are still grateful to him for that.”
Wirtz Snr went on to explain there were no major differences in Bayern and Liverpool’s offers, with the decision coming down to nuances.
One of the most influential was the impact of Arne Slot.
“Arne Slot was able to convince Florian personally. He’s also a very pleasant person,” the player’s father commented.
“Arne Slot presented his playing philosophy, the team tactics in possession and pressing, and how Florian can develop his strengths in these areas. That made a decisive impression on Florian.”
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