Don’t Cry For Martin Demichelis

By: Luke | January 12th, 2010

By now, many readers have probably already come across reports about Martin Demichelis’ most recent interview with kicker. In case you’ve missed it here’s a recap. Let’s pick out some of the highlights, using the translated quotes..

“Life in Germany is still hard for me, I miss quite a few things from Argentina. I live here alone with my wife and son and I don’t have any South American friends in the squad anymore.”

Yep, it must be terrible that you can no longer go out and eat empanadas till the wee hours with Sosa, and instead have to go home to this night after night..(probably NSFW)

“There was another player who was injured and then came straight back in,” he added. “That made it clear to me that I am not important to this team and the coach.”

Readers might remember that I covered this topic to a degree in late October, which was when Demichelis started his bitching onslaught. But, let’s remind Martin in vain once again. The injured player he is referring to is the team captain, who happens to be the same nationality as the coach. That might explain some difference in treatment. But let’s not forget. Mark van Bommel didn’t come straight back in, he went up to Regensburg and played a friendly with a bare bones crew! Toni had to endure the supposed indignity of a match with the amateurs and the Regensburg friendly. Demichelis continues

“I was disappointed and wanted the same treatment as Mark. If I am not important for the team, then I would rather go home.”

Really? You would have preferred to go off and play a match against Burghausen or someone? Maybe you should have shown enough leadership to be chosen captain over a guy who had only been with the club a season and a half. Although it seems we are now seeing why you couldn’t.

“I think I am the first player in the world who plays first for the national team and then for his club,”

Actually, Martin if you looked across the practice field, you would see someone who is in exactly the same position.

Still don’t see him? Ok, I’ll give you a hint.
miroslav_klose

Here is what Miroslav Klose has said about playing for his country but sitting for his club:
That’s right, nothing. Because unlike you Martin, he’s actually a class act. And when he does get an opportunity, he takes it. Like today in Basel.

Also let’s not forget, it has always been Demichelis who put his national team aspirations ahead of the club. As Demichelis said in the kicker interview: “The coach wanted to play with Van Buyten and Badstuber.

I’ve got a theory as to why. So in March of ‘08, Hitzfeld tells Demichelis he’s going to play in the midfield. Demichelis flatly refuses, fearful that playing in the midfield against Cottbus will get him dropped from the Argentine national squad. Hitzfeld removes Demichelis from the squad and fines him.

Let’s compare this to Daniel van Buyten, quoted on the official FC Bayern website after moving to striker in the closing moments and scoring the winning goal against Eintracht Frankfurt in October:

“I said to the coach weeks ago that I could go forward for the final minutes if he wanted me to,”

Oh the contrast. Once again, this tells us about who has the individual character that is always needed to succeed at the highest level, and of course who doesn’t have it.

Perhaps the greatest absurdity is that despite his litany of complaints, Demichelis has played every minute of the long Bayern win streak that started against Maccabi Haifa. He did in fact get his job back, though most any observer would tell you that he’s been the worst Bayern player on the pitch in most if not all of those matches. Why would he choose this moment to renew his perceived slight in the public arena? What does he possibly have to gain from this? Well, he has gained one thing: this writer’s permanent disdain.

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Category: 1. Bundesliga, FC Bayern Munich, Players, Videos

Tags: 1. Bundesliga, Daniel van Buyten, FC Bayern Munich, Jose Ernesto Sosa, Luca Toni, Mark van Bommel, Martin Demichelis, Miroslav Klose, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Players, Videos

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victor

Niedermeier has not been playing much with stuttgart this season and he's already 23 years old. If he returns, I bet he'll get demoted to the reserve team or sold. We have Breno returning after this season. He's younger, bigger and more talented.
zermatt

Exactly, Thanks Ed! That's what I was thinking too!
ED

Good points Zermatt, plus the bonus is the more places you fill on the first 11 from the youth system the more money that leaves you when you do have to go and find that special player for one certain spot on the field.
zermatt

Ensuring our youth products are brought through the system all the way upto the first team is the best way for Bayern to go financially, and why not use what you have been developing for so long, otherwise it doesn't make sense to have a youth system if you don't use some of them from time to time!

In this regard LvG is perfect for Bayern at this point in time, because that's what he did @ Ajax Amsterdam back in the mid 90's!!!! And look at what they achieved back then, a Champions League triumph in 1995!!! And nearly repeated the success in 1996!!!

At the beginning of the season many people commented here about Badstuber and Muller, afraid of giving them Bundesliga playing time because it was perceived that they would'nt be upto scratch and are too inexperienced.

That maybe have been true, but the young guys do need to be given an oportunity to learn from mistakes as long as they don't commit to many of them, and to show what they can do!

Look six months on, nobody is missing Lucio and Co! I really like seeing Contento, Alaba and Co joining Badstuber and Muller in the first team. I think it could get even more exciting for the future if Kroos and Georg Neidermayer come back from their loan moves next season.

As the average age of the team will be unbelievably young and bodes well for Bayern in the future!
ED

It would be nice if one of those three turn out being the quality of Muller or Badstuber because that keeps the money in the bank and makes our squad that much younger! Lets keep our fingers crossed that one or more of them hit the bullseye.
Luke

@Victor: I think your perspective is closest to what we've actually heard out of Nerlinger so far. It seems like the kids are going to get the chance to play. What hasn't been worked out (and really has never been worked out at Bayern) is how you do that and maintain the high level of play that is expected at all times. At least Nerlinger's vision acknowledges that Bayern has given up too early on talent developed in their system in the past.
ED

The way that Van Buyten has been playing this season I don't think your going to have to worry about replacing him anytimes soon! If Contento or one of the other young guys can take on the LB spot next season and do good that would be optimum in my book as it costs us nothing and we can spend the money in other spots. I am sure that LVG will have his eyes peeled on how the young guys are progressing and hopefully get them some minutes in the Pokal games coming up.
victor

we have Ekici, Contento and Alaba going in. We have a player named Bjorn Kopplin from the reserve team. He plays LB. He played in the recent U-19 world cup I think, and scored some goals too. Since Contento is an LB, expect Lahm to stay as a right back in the Van Gaal era at least. If Kopplin moves up too, then he'll have to learn how to be a CB to replace Van Buyten soon. And we still have Breno returning next season.
Benjamin G. Dela Cruz

What is this guy still doing in the team? I mean, bitching itself is bad enough. Bitching while playing like crap is completely nonsensical. If you want to complain, you better have some damn good play on your end backing you up. I really hope we get rid of him soon enough, before his performances cause his value to plummet.
ED

Luke, Khedira is more of a CAM than CDM and he is always going forward for VFB looking for goals or assists. I would rather have Schweini in that spot as it cost us NOTHING next year. Plus that way you can throw Kroos back into the midfield when he comes back from Leverkusen, if he does this summer. Only variable is Ribery and whether he stays or goes?

And I don't agree that Boateng makes more sense as the replacement for Demichelis, Boateng can play CB fine I have no problem with that, but that leaves Badstuber out of position at LB and we already KNOW what he can do at CB so why not play him there? Beck fits perfectly into the lineup IMO, he can play LB or RB and do it very well, good enough to be on the Mannschaft and he is very young and will improve with age, to big of an upside to pass up in my book. Yes, the Hoff won't like letting him go, but for the right amount of money they will talk I am sure and he is still going to be half as much as what Bayern were going to give Chelsea for Bosingwa just a few months ago! Good CB's are a lot easier to find then a good LB or RB and Bayern already have two very good CB's in their first 11 and we all know who they are!
Luke

Apparently, Fiorentina were interested in Demichelis before the season. Most of his agent's clients are in Italy, so I suppose it would be easier for him to go there than anywhere else in Europe anyway. Beck is a thought as far as the right back/left back quandary with Lahm. However, his contract run through '12 and Hoffenheim has the luxury of not really needing to be sellers. As far as replacing Demichelis, Boateng makes more sense, but Geromel might be a cheaper option, especially if Cologne falls into the relegation zone.

There's been reporting that Bayern are looking at Sami Khedira now as a replacement for MvB. Whatever the level of interest truly is, it's a logical consideration at least.
ED

In a perfect world I would like to see Demichelis go at seasons end because he wants to start for somebody and I hope he finds a spot somewhere Argentina or maybe La Liga where he can be happy. I don't believe he is the calibre of player that Bayern needs at that spot and the are better options out there for Bayern to explore! Beck, would be one of those options IMO, maybe even one of the young guys can develope into another starter.

MVB is another spot that Bayern has to figure out something on because after this season he needs to accept a smaller role or move on to another club. MvB can still have some good games left in him, but I don't think he has what it takes to play a 34 game schedule in the Bundesliga and produce good results every week. I think and hope that LVG will slide Schweinsteiger into MvB's spot at CDM and then Bayern will be set for a long time.
Tomas

@ ED... to add to your statement, and what enrages me the most, is when he does get burned he doesnt do anything about it. Ive seen so many times when he gets burned in the corners and is on his ass, he just sits there with that stupid grin and lets everyone else take care of it. Getting burned is one thing, not fighting for the ball back or trying to stop the offender is another. I dont "hate" any of our lads but had a large amount of disdain for MvB. That disdain has turned towards Micho. MvB might do some stupid things and have some VERY sloppy tackles... but I really havent seen him "give up". In fact I, as probably all of you, have seen MvB get burned and a bit later take it out on someone. This may not be the most intelligent thing to do BUT it just shows the heart he has for the club and how little heart Micho has, except for himself.
ED

It isn't so much the own goals with Demichelis as it is the getting beat by his man time and time again over the last couple of seasons. I can't even count how many times he has let guys get by him after he made a lunging tackle only to miss the ball and man! He just gets caught out of position too much and he doesn't have the speed and quickness to make up for it anymore. Why is Argentina's defense the worst it has been in years? Funny, he starts for them too!

I would sell him at the end of the season to Wolfsburg as they need defenders in a bad way.
Tomas

Wow. If one of our boys (German) had said the same thing (being in Argentina and being alone and having no German friends) some might say... "Oh those Germans and their racist ways!"... but I guess that wouldnt happen in Argentina with a good size German population! lol
Seriously though, Micho needs to move on. Since the beginning of last season his quality has been steadily heading down the crapper. We dont need him or his attitude.

I missed the match yesterday due to work travel but caught the highlights. You got to love Klose. Shady goals or not, he just wont give up! Contento and Alaba need to stop the 2 touch. They both should have had goals and did beat the keeper if they would have driven their shots on the first touch. Hopefully they will kick this habit soon. I read that Diego got a contract until June 11th, 2011 and will be wearing #26 now. Good job and good luck Diego!!!! And good stuff Luke! Again!
Luke

@A Kap: My quick scan of the stats for the last 3 seasons only shows 2 officially, but it seems like more doesn't it?
A Kap

Man, I'd like to think he's been in Germany long enough to be able to get by. And it's not like there aren't other South Americans in Munich at all.

This seems more like a lazy player bemoaning the fact that there are others playing better than him, and it's only a matter of time before he rides the pine. I think Van Gaal has been quite supportive of Micho, and in general, been quite fair if not direct with almost all the players.

I remember reading how devastated he was when he didn't make the WC06 squad, but he still has to remember who pays the bills.

Luke, any idea about how many own goals Micho has scored in the past 2-3 seasons? I'd go with 4-5.
zermatt

Like Luke, I have a growing disdain for Demichelis and I think the club should make a special exception for him!!!
Let's sell him during this January transfer window and be done with him!!!! Are you listening Nerlinger or Uli?

His whinning is getting as bad as Lucio's constant rants, especially when he kept scoring own goals and then demanding to be first choice in the centre of defense where he simply stank, his playing ability that is!!!! And Demichelis is now on a par with him (Lucio).
ED

Funny I didn't hear Demichelis mention Luca Toni? Didn't he also get injured and didn't he also have to sit a game or two before getting back into a starting spot? So what the hell is Demi talking about, just because Van Bommel went straight back in doesn't mean the need is that great for everyone to do the same! Badstuber was playing great at CB and you dislodged him from that spot and he is now playing out of position at LB, but the funny thing is I don't here him whining like you! I really have a hard time when people think they are owed something by the club, everybody fights for a spot and there are no gimmees at any position.

Luke, thanks for bringing up the Klose example it really brings home the point and makes things a lot clearer!

1. Demi, do your job!
2. Then go home and do your wife!
3. Then have a litre of Paulaner and go to sleep!
Shane

Just wanted to say that this is a great blog Luke. Thanks for being so active over the transfer window and reporting on all the news in an always humorous and interesting way.

Oh, Demichelis. Let's just hope those rumors of our purchasing Boateng in the summer are true and the rumors that Buyten may be off to Lazio or elsewhere are not. Would love to drop this whiner in the summer, but I'm not too proud to admit we need him in the 2nd half of the season. Too bad I have a really strong feeling the Buyten/Demichelis partnership that has always stunk is going to get exposed at some critical moments to cost us.