Argentina´s Demichelis boycotts Bayern opener

Argentine centre-back Martin Demichelis refused to attend Friday’s opening Bundesliga match between his club Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg after failing to make the starting line-up.

Bayern coach Louis van Gaal opted to select Daniel van Buyten and youngster Holger Badstuber as his centre-backs against Wolfsburg and Demichelis boycotted the match at Munich’s Allianz Arena in protest.

“He asked the coach not to put his name on the team sheet,” revealed Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge before kick-off.

“I do not think that means he wants to leave the club, but we are very disappointed.”

The 29-year-old Demichelis played in the World Cup and was in the Argentina side that lost 4-0 to Germany in the quarter-finals.

“I made my decision and the player must accept it. He won the title last season, but now has been replaced and he must accept that, it’s not easy,” added van Gaal.

With Badstuber and van Buyten in the heart of his defence, van Gaal opted to start 20-year-old Diego Contento at left-back.

Demichelis has been at Bayern since 2003, but Rummenigge ruled out releasing him before the summer transfer window closes on August 31.