Hard cash
December 12, 2010
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness said on Sunday it took "hard cash" to keep Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger, with German media reports suggesting the midfielder's new contract is worth 10 million euros ($13.2 million) per year.
The announcement was made after Bayern's 3-0 victory over St. Pauli in front of a home crowd at Munich's Alliance Arena. Schweinsteiger took the microphone and told 69,000 fans that his "heart beats red" and that he would be wearing a Munich jersey until at least 2016.
"We've got a really good team here and for me, personally, I would rather win a Champions League with Bayern than with Real Madrid," Schweinsteiger said.
'Hard euros, not peanuts'
Speculation arose already last week that Schweinsteiger had entered contract negotiations with Bayern officials.
Club president Uli Hoeness said on Sunday that a serious investment had been made to keep Schweinsteiger part of the team.
"The negotiations were not easy," Hoeness told Sky TV. "We weren't fighting over peanuts but hard euros. You can't bank on a player of his class staying on board out of pure love for the team. A real investment had to be made."
Mass circulation newspaper Bild reported the contract will make Schweinsteiger the best paid player at Bayern ahead of France star Franck Ribery.
Author: Gabriel Borrud (AFP, dpa)
Editor: Ben Knight