Schweinsteiger ‘not player he was at Bayern’: United’s Van Gaal

Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has hit out at Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal over his treatment of Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Van Gaal admitted that Schweinsteiger, who was substituted by Michael Carrick in the 69th minute of the match, was not the same player he had seen at Bayern Munich. The 31-year-old transferred to Old Trafford in the summer from Bavaria but has not been able to provide the same influence like he has for Bayern or the national team in the past, much to the chagrin of his present manager.

“I have changed him and I don’t change players for nothing”, he said in a news conference.

Louis van Gaal was already under pressure, as United have regularly struggled to score goals this season, but that pressure will be even more intense today.

The United manager is facing a fresh wave of criticism after the Red Devils crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage following a 3-2 defeat by Wolfsburg in Germany on Tuesday night.

“I think Bastian Schweinsteiger is a quarter of the player we are used to seeing – that man used to boss games, but now he doesn’t have the legs”.

“Bastian needs a bit of time [to adjust]”.

“We are all human beings and also Bastian is a human being, and he wants to play at the highest level and certainly in Germany to show his qualities”.

Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said he was disappointed with Van Gaal, who coached Schweinsteiger at Bayern between 2009 and 2011.

“Louis is not known for being the hugely sympathetic type”, added Rummenigge tersely.