Adidas chairman Herbert Hainer replaces Uli Hoeness as Bayern Munich President

Uli Hoeness

In an emergency board meeting, Bayern Munich replaced tainted President Uli Hoeness, who will be doing a prison term of three-and-a-half-years for tax evasion, with Adidas chairman Herbert Hainer.

Herbert, 59 received a majority vote and will assume the position with immediate effect.

“Uli Hoeness has always served Bayern Munich’s best interests with his leadership qualities, his high personal involvement and his exceptional lifetime achievements,” Hainer said in a statement on the club’s official website.

“He has made a considerable contribution to Bayern Munich becoming one of the most successful and attractive clubs in the world, financially and sportingly, and we will always be extremely grateful to him for this.”

Uli Hoeness had said that he will accept the three-and-a-half-year prison for his tax evasion and has hence stepped down as the President of the Bayern Munich while also stepping down as the chairman of the business behind it. His sentence is likely to commence within a week’s time.

Hoeness said: “After discussions with my family I have decided to accept the ruling of the Munich court on my tax affairs. This befits my understanding of decency, dignity and personal responsibility. Tax evasion was the biggest mistake of my life.”

He added: “Bayern Munich is my life’s work and will also remain so,” insisting he wanted to spare the club any damage.

“I wish to thank from the heart my personal friends and all followers of Bayern for your support,” he continued. “I will continue to be associated with this magnificent club and its people in other ways for as long as I live.”