Bayern Munich goalkeeper Sven Ulreich has issued a firm statement criticising former coach Carlo Ancelotti for never trusting him.
Ulreich, 29, has done a commendable job this season, having taken over in goal for the Bavarians after captain Manuel Neuer suffered a fractured foot in September, which ultimately ruled him out for the season.
However, despite his fine form, the German goalkeeper has given a scathing assessment of former coach Ancelotti, insisting his successor Jupp Heynckes gave him all the confidence to flourish.
Speaking to the German press, reports Bild, Ulreich said: “My good games started when Jupp Heynckes came. I instantly trusted him – I did not have the feeling of his predecessor.
“Trust is the most important thing for an athlete.
“It was brutally important that Heynckes gave me self-confidence and expressed his confidence. Before that, it really happened that Carlo Ancelotti did not stand by me, had little faith in me, communicated little. With a footballer, however, much is about trust.
“It’s half the battle, if you get that from the coach and those responsible, just for a goalkeeper.”
Ulreich has started 26 matches this season in the Bundesliga as the Bavarians lifted their 27th league title, and the German shot-stopper now has his eyes on a place in Joachim Löw’s World Cup squad this summer.
He continued: “A World Cup is the greatest thing there is. Of course that is also a goal of mine. But if it does not work, I’m not unhappy.”
Despite manager Heynckes resting several players for Bayern’s game against Hannover on Saturday afternoon, Ulreich started and kept a clean sheet in a 3-0 win, having to make just one save.
Bayern next face Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday at the Allianz Arena, before travelling to the Spanish capital the following week.
Heynckes will be looking to complete the treble in his final season with Die Roten, as the club face Eintracht Frankfurt – managed by their next coach Niko Kovac – in the DFB-Pokal Final on 19th May.
