Douglas Costa insists he has no hard feelings for Uli Hoeness
Douglas Costa insists he doesn't hold a grudge against Uli Hoeness after being labelled a 'mercenary' in 2017 by the then Bayern München president.
| Douglas Costa. | Photo: Granada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 |
Now back at Bayern on loan from Juventus until the end of the season, the former Shakhtar Donetsk winger says he understands why Hoeness reacted as he did back then.
"I have the deepest respect for Uli Hoeness. He played a major role in my first move to Munich and brought me from Ukraine to a top club, helping me to get on this stage. I will never forget him for that. It's logical that he represented the interests of the club as president at the time. I have no problem with that. I know that Hoeness fights like a lion for his FC Bayern," Costa told Sport Bild and added:
"I think his reaction after my departure was understandable. The club had lost an important player. In Hoeness' eyes, I was only interested in money when I left. I would have said the same thing about myself if I were in his place."
Asked if there is any truth to the claims that he left Bayern for money reasons, Costa responded:
"No. I had other offers, but Juventus are an absolutely top club and among the best in Europe. I wanted to win the Champions League there."
