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The PSG full-back struggled in a Champions League meeting with Sevilla last season, prompting the club’s president to decide enough was enough
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has revealed that he decided to sell Juan Bernat after the player’s poor performance in the Champions League quarter-final first leg last season.
The left-back made the switch to PSG in the summer after having spent four years with the Bundesliga giants having initially signed for the club from Valencia in 2014.
And the reasons behind Bayern making the decision to move the Spaniard on have now been disclosed, with president Hoeness having seen enough in one particular game to convince him to get rid.
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It all centres around Bernat’s performance in Bayern’s 2-1 win over Sevilla in the Champions League back in April.
With the first leg taking place in Spain, Bernat was partly responsible for the hosts’ first goal, as Pablo Sarabia shrugged off a challenge from the defender before smashing home past Sven Ulreich.
Bayern did recover courtesy of a Jesus Navas own goal and one from Thiago Alcantara, although Bernat was subsequently hooked at half-time in place of Rafinha.
The Bavarians eventually went on to win the tie 2-1 on aggregate after a 0-0 second-leg draw, but Bernat would only play for the club four more times after that, before being sold to PSG in a €15 million (£13m/$17m) deal.
And discussing the sale, Hoeness revealed to reporters in an explosive press conference on Friday: “When we played in Seville, he was solely responsible for us almost being eliminated.
“That day [the Champions League first leg against Sevilla], we decided that we would sell him because he almost cost us all the success in the Champions League.”
In what was a heated exchange with the gathered media, Bayern also backed their manager Niko Kovac despite a run of four matches without a win in all competitions.
That form had seen former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger linked with the post, but the club’s chiefs, including Hoeness, chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic have stood by the Croatian.
Next up for Bayern is an away trip to Wolfsburg as they look to halt their recent slump, with Kovac’s side, who are currently sixth in the table, looking to close the gap on current leaders Dortmund.