Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich have strongly criticized Canadian national team officials and demanded an explanation regarding the management of defender Alphonso Davies, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear while on international duty. Davies sustained the injury to his right knee during Canada’s 2-1 win over the United States in the CONCACAF Nations League third-place playoff on Sunday, March 23rd.
Bayern Sports Director Christoph Freund expressed significant frustration at a press conference on Friday, March 28th, highlighting concerns about Davies playing despite prior fatigue and the handling of the injury immediately after he was forced off early in the match.
“It is bitter for us and the way it happened is just not correct,” Freund stated. “We want to know what exactly happened.”
Freund noted that Davies had complained of fatigue following Canada’s previous game but was still selected to play against the US. “He is the captain, a young man who wanted to help his team but it was borderline,” Freund commented.
He further criticized the post-injury assessment process. “The second issue is the injury after 12 minutes. Then Phonzy flies back on a 12-hour flight and we all assume it is not a serious injury but then we have this [ACL tear diagnosis],” Freund explained. “That is sloppy. It is not professional and we need to talk and clear it up. We are the employers, we pay the players, so we will be looking into what happened.”
The Canada Soccer Association had not provided an immediate response at the time of reporting.
Bayern face a significant defensive blow, as Davies’s injury coincides with fellow defender Dayot Upamecano being ruled out for several weeks with a knee injury sustained on international duty with France. Both players will miss crucial upcoming fixtures, including Saturday’s Bundesliga match against St Pauli and the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Inter Milan on April 8th.
“The absences of Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano are a heavy blow for Bayern,” Eberl [Freund] added, though he expressed confidence in the squad’s ability to cope.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany, while acknowledging the loss, focused on the team’s resilience. “It is a pity first of all for Phonzy and Upamecano, who cannot be with us at this crucial period of the season,” Kompany said. “This season we had to compensate for other absences. Hopefully it will bring the group tighter together… The reaction is what’s important. There are no excuses for me. Just to win the next game and keep improving.”
Bayern currently hold a six-point lead over Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the Bundesliga as they enter the final phase of the season.
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