Following Saturday’s home defeat to Schalke, the Bayern Munich leadership of Uli Hoeness, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Karl Hopfner and team manager Christian Nerlinger met to discuss what needed to be done with regard to Juergen Klinsmann’s future at the club and decided a parting of the ways was best.

That left the question as to who could see the team through to the end of the season with the Bundesliga title still very much up for grabs.

Media reports in Germany claim that the first name they turned to was former trainer and current Swiss national team boss Ottmar Hitzfeld.  Jupp Heynckes only came under consideration after the ‘General’ had turned Bayern down.

Hitzfeld jumped back into the Bayern hot-seat following the sacking of Felix Magath in 2007 and led the side to the Bundesliga title last season before leaving to take control of the Swiss national side.

There will however be no repetition with the old master declining the offer to see the Bavarian giants through to the end of the season, according to Bild.

Even though the Swiss team are in summer break from international football, the burden was considered too great.