http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/european/article1221296.ece
Bayern hit Hargreaves with 'prostitute' taunt
By Sam Wallace
Published: 24 August 2006
The Manchester United target Owen Hargreaves will make a public
declaration today in an effort to bring his dispute with Bayern
Munich to a resolution after he suffered another embarrassing
broadside from the German club when the general manager, Uli
Höness, accused him of "prostituting" himself.
The severe admonishment from Höness was widely reported in Germany
yesterday and was clearly a humiliating experience for Hargreaves,
who attempted to stand up to the Bayern official in front of his
team-mates. A source close to the player revealed that Hargreaves
was aghast to read about the argument in Germany's Bild newspaper
yesterday. It would appear that Hargreaves, for whom United have
made an offer of £17m, had been picked out by Höness in front of
the whole squad for making clear his wishes to leave. The
25-year-old, who is suffering from flu, reported to the training
ground yesterday but stayed little more than 50 minutes.
While he was there he was shown newspaper reports of the dispute
which quoted Höness as accusing him of "prostituting" himself.
Hargreaves left shortly afterwards. With the transfer window due to
close a week today, the midfielder's hopes of a move to Old
Trafford appear to be dwindling.
While sources close to the England international say that he is
calm, he must also have to consider abandoning his attempts to
engineer a move. With Bayern mobilising the German press against
him, Hargreaves is due to make his feelings clear at an official
club press conference at 3pm today. So far he has made his feelings
clear in newspaper interviews but today could prove an explosive
conclusion to the long-running saga.
The Manchester United target Owen Hargreaves will make a public
declaration today in an effort to bring his dispute with Bayern
Munich to a resolution after he suffered another embarrassing
broadside from the German club when the general manager, Uli
Höness, accused him of "prostituting" himself.
The severe admonishment from Höness was widely reported in Germany
yesterday and was clearly a humiliating experience for Hargreaves,
who attempted to stand up to the Bayern official in front of his
team-mates. A source close to the player revealed that Hargreaves
was aghast to read about the argument in Germany's Bild newspaper
yesterday. It would appear that Hargreaves, for whom United have
made an offer of £17m, had been picked out by Höness in front of
the whole squad for making clear his wishes to leave. The
25-year-old, who is suffering from flu, reported to the training
ground yesterday but stayed little more than 50 minutes.
While he was there he was shown newspaper reports of the dispute
which quoted Höness as accusing him of "prostituting" himself.
Hargreaves left shortly afterwards. With the transfer window due to
close a week today, the midfielder's hopes of a move to Old
Trafford appear to be dwindling.
While sources close to the England international say that he is
calm, he must also have to consider abandoning his attempts to
engineer a move. With Bayern mobilising the German press against
him, Hargreaves is due to make his feelings clear at an official
club press conference at 3pm today. So far he has made his feelings
clear in newspaper interviews but today could prove an explosive
conclusion to the long-running saga.
