Famed ex-Bayern Munich doctor reveals fallout with Pep Guardiola in 2015

TL;DR

Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt revealed his resignation from Bayern Munich in 2015 was due to a dispute with coach Pep Guardiola, who blamed him for player injuries after a Champions League loss. Müller-Wohlfahrt felt this was unjust and contrary to his established medical practices.

Key points

Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt resigned from Bayern Munich in 2015
The resignation was due to a dispute with coach Pep Guardiola
Guardiola blamed Müller-Wohlfahrt for player injuries after a Champions League loss
Müller-Wohlfahrt felt the blame was unjust and contrary to his medical expertise
He returned to Bayern Munich in 2017 after initially leaving

Mentioned in this story

Hans-Wilhelm Müller-WohlfahrtPep Guardiola

Bayern MunichManchester CityChampions League

(GERMANY OUT) Fussball 1. Bundesliga Saison 2013/2014 9. Spieltag FC Bayern Muenchen - 1. FSV Mainz Mannschaftsarzt Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt (li, FC Bayern Muenchen) und Trainer Pep Guardiola (FC Bayern Muenchen) (Photo by Pressefoto Ulmerullstein bild via Getty Images) | ullstein bild via Getty Images Some Bayern Munich fans know who Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt is. He was Bayern’s long-serving club physician, joining the club in the early 1990s and leaving in 2015. The doctor recently revealed the reason for his initial resignation: a dispute with former Bayern coach Pep Guardiola. “It was April 15th, a terrible day. We had lost the first leg of our Champions League quarter-final against Porto (3-1 away). Afterwards, in front of the entire team in the dressing room, I was blamed for the defeat. They said we had too many injured players and that I was letting players recover for too long. That was completely absurd. I refused to accept that.

“I was outraged by the misjudgment, because top athletes from all over the world come to me because my diagnostics are more precise, the recovery process is often faster than elsewhere, and because my medications have no side effects,” Müller-Wohlfahrt continued. “However, the recovery wasn’t fast enough for Pep Guardiola. He was apparently used to having the final say on medical matters at , but things were different in Munich up to that point. “I always enjoyed the respect and trust of the respective coaches. Dettmar Cramer once described me as ‘a stroke of luck for German football.’ Udo Lattek often waited until the last minute to announce the lineup and said: ‘The doctor has the final say.’ “Uli Hoeneß, who always stood by me, was in prison at that time. Had he been at the club, the falling out with Guardiola would not have happened, I’m sure of that,” the doctor concluded. It’s honestly unsurprising how Pep reacted that day, given how he can be a bit of a control freak at times. But blaming Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt for the result and doing it in front of the players is absolutely the wrong move. Pep then moved to in 2016; Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt would eventually return to the club in 2017 and depart a second time for good in 2020.

Q&A

What caused Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt to resign from Bayern Munich in 2015?

Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt resigned after Pep Guardiola blamed him for player injuries following a Champions League defeat, which he found unjust.

How did Pep Guardiola's management style affect his relationship with Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt?

Guardiola's tendency to control medical decisions clashed with Müller-Wohlfahrt's established authority and practices, leading to their fallout.

What was the outcome of the conflict between Guardiola and Müller-Wohlfahrt?

The conflict resulted in Müller-Wohlfahrt's resignation in 2015, although he later returned to Bayern Munich in 2017.

Famed ex-Bayern Munich doctor reveals fallout with Pep Guardiola in 2015

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

Related Articles

NBA awards 2026: Bontemps' ballot for MVP, top rookie, every honor

Slams, blocks and game winners: Top 10 plays from Wemby's record-setting season

10 NFL draft prospects to put on your fantasy radar -- and three others to monitor

Stanley Cup playoffs mega-preview: Stanley Cup cases, X factors, bold predictions for all 16 teams

Spring football games: Previewing Virginia Tech, Michigan, Miami and others

2027 recruiting class rankings: Oklahoma among top 10 schools off to strong start

More from Sports