Hoeness: I would not belittle Dortmund

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has retracted his earlier claims about Borussia Dortmund’s status in world football.

The former West Germany forward had said the Bundesliga champions were only significant on a local scale, while his own side are a global force.

His Dortmund counterpart Hans-Joachim Watzke was quick to demand respect from the Bavarians, and the 60-year-old has now insisted he would never belittle the work of his club’s main rival.

“I would definitely not disparage any of the good work Dortmund do,” the 60-year-old told Bild.

Bayern and Dortmund have already met once this season, with the league champions losing 2-1 to the Bavarian giants in the DFL-Super Cup.