Bayern president Hoeness criticized over Breno defense

Posted Tuesday, July 31, 2012 by YAHOO Sport

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has been criticized by both Nurnberg director of football Martin Bader and Eintracht Frankfurt executive chairman Heribert Bruchhagen over his defense of jailed defender Breno.

The Brazilian center back was last week sentenced to three years and nine months in prison without the possibility of parole after being found guilty of arson.

Hoeness was stunned by not only the verdict, but also the severity of the sentence, claiming that Breno had been unfairly punished.

"I do not know now if one needs to really make a distinction between a bricklayer, who can carry on with his profession when he comes out again, and a young footballer, who can do absolutely nothing other than play football," the former West Germany international told Bild.

Bader, though, felt that the most shocking thing about the whole affair were the comments made by Hoeness.

"Thank God he makes no difference to the German justice system," he told Bild. "Breno has to answer for the crime and it was self-inflicted."

Meanwhile, Frankfurt chief Bruchhagen also felt that Hoeness should have chosen his words a little better.

"Uli Hoeness would have done well not to make such a comparison," he argued.

Breno, who will be deported to Brazil once he has served his time, was found to have been responsible for a fire at his own villa in the Grunwald suburb of Munich last September.