BERLIN, April 3 – Bayern Munich have taken the unusual step of refusing two British tabloids accreditation for next Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg at home to Manchester United over headlines referring to midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger.
The Germany midfielder was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a 90th-minute foul on United’s England star Wayne Rooney as Tuesday’s first leg finished 1-1 at Old Trafford.
“You dirty Schwein”, wrote the Daily Mirror in a headline, while The Sun ran “You Schwein!” on their back page on Wednesday.
Reporters from both newspapers have now been refused accreditation for the return leg at Munich’s Allianz Arena, with reigning European champions Bayern admitting they are not amused by the play on words, ‘Schwein’ meaning ‘pig’ in German.
“Bayern Munich do not accept this kind of reporting and condemn these headlines in the strongest terms,” said the Bavarian giants in a statement.
Bayern have already been fined 10,000 euros (US$13,764) by UEFA and ordered to close part of the Allianz Arena for the game after supporters displayed an offensive banner against Arsenal last month.
A banner with the text “Gay Gunners” was spotted in the stadium during Bayern’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal, whose nickname is the Gunners, in the second leg of their last-16 tie.
