Munich - Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness has vented his fury on the "oil mafia" investing in European football. In an interview published Wednesday with the internet sport site SPOX, Hoeness said he was annoyed every time he filled his car with petrol.
"This oil mafia is taking the money out of my pocket to put it into footballers," he said.
"I'm fed up to the back teeth with this, and this goes too for Mr Abramovich," he added in reference to Chelsea's Russian oil billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.
"This mafia controls the whole world and manipulates the oil price. I am not prepared to put up with it much longer."
Asked what he could do to counter it, Hoeness said Bayern had to beat teams like Champions League finalists Chelsea on the pitch.
"That would give me great satisfaction," he said.
Hoeness said expectations at Bayern going into the new season were huge under new coach Juergen Klinsmann and the right conditions were in place for success.
"Juergen's plan to want to make every player better is worth gold for Bayern," he said.
"The players are our capital. If the plan works the clubs capital will be raised without having invested a lot of money."
However no player could afford to be below his best, and even a new signing like former Werder Bremen midfielder Tim Borowski would have to hit form right away.
"Any player who signs a contract at Bayern has to be clear that he can't play the biggest rubbish for four weeks and still belong to the first team. Our targets are too high for that," he said.
"We can't spend six months building up a new team and than launch an attack in the second half of the season from 12th place."
The new season was also a new chance for Germany striker Lukas Podolski to establish a place in the side after struggling last season, behind Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose in the pecking order.
"He already played a lot of games last season in the second half of the season and scored important goals," he said.
"If he continues on this path everyone will be satisfied. We are doing everything to make sure that Podolski feels well here. Then he will be able to call on all his ability."
