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Soccer

Uli Hoeness re-elected as Bayern president

Stefan Bienkowski
November 26, 2016

Despite only being released from prison in February, the 64-year old returns to his former role at Bayern. At the club's AGM on Friday he won an overwhelming majority of the vote.

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Jahreshauptversammlung FC Bayern München Uli Hoeness
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/J. Simon

Uli Hoeness has been re-elected as president of Bayern Munich after winning an overwhelming majority of the vote at the club's annual general meeting on Friday.

The former president was the only candidate put forward to replace Karl Hopfner, who has held the role since Hoeness was imprisoned by the German state for tax evasion in March 2014.

Of the 7,152 club members in attendance, 6,986, or 98.5 percent, voted in favour of his reappointment, with 108 voting against, Bayern said on their website.

"I promise I will not disappoint you," Hoeness told members.

The former Bayern and West Germany international ended up serving just half of his sentence after being released in February 2016. He now makes his return to the club he had a large part in transforming into the modern, goliath of European soccer.

Deutschland ehemalige Bayern Münchens Trainer Jürgen Klinsmann und Manager Uli Hoeneß
Hoeness has represented Bayern in every capacity possible - on and off the pitch.Image: imago/Team 2

"I'm standing here today thanks to two families: mine and FC Bayern." Hoeness said in his pre-election speech.

"I want to be a link, a guide for employees and players."

Hoeness requested a "second chance" from members and promised "that I will do everything to fulfil your expectations."

Hoeness retired from football due to injury at the early age of 27 and quickly began working behind the scenes at the Munich club. As general manager of Bayern he won 15 German Bundesliga titles and seven domestic cups.

Blessing from Pep

One of his more notable achievements in the recent past was his ability to convince Pep Guardiola to take the job as head coach at Bayern in 2013. And of course the Catalan coach was full of compliments upon the return of his former boss.

Speaking to German newspaper "Süddeutsche Zeitung”, Guardiola said: "It makes me very happy that Uli returns. Especially because in my time in Munich I learned that there's one essence and one soul of Bayern: Uli.”

He added: "With Uli there was always a very special feeling. He is a sincere, warm, professional guy who is beloved and popular. I like him; I really like him a lot, for everything he gave me on a human level. From the beginning we've been on the same wavelength.”