Soccer-Bayern fans object to Boateng internship over player's bodily harm conviction

BERLIN, Oct 17 (Reuters) – Retired defender Jerome Boateng's planned coaching internship at Bayern Munich has triggered opposition among some fans over the 2014 World Cup winner's guilty verdict last year for causing bodily harm to a former partner. The former Germany defender, who played for the club between 2011 and 2021, earlier this week said he had spoken with Bayern coach Vincent Kompany and had gotten the all-clear for an internship but had yet to finalise a date. Some Bayern fans, however, are now opposing such a move after the player was handed a suspended fine and a warning last year by a Munich court which found him guilty of premeditated bodily harm against his former partner. An online petition, headlined "Setting borders against misogynistic violence: Jerome Boateng should not be allowed back to Bayern Munich" had already collected close to 2,000 signatures by Friday morning. There had also been opposition in 2023 when Bayern were considering a short deal with the player amid a string of injuries to their defenders. The 2024 trial was the third in the bodily harm case. Bayern have not commented on the matter. When asked about Boateng's interest back in September, Kompany said he would be happy to have the former player in Munich "to spend some weeks with us and share his experiences as a top defender." The 37-year-old Boateng, who made 76 appearances for Germany between 2009 and 2018, spent 10 years at Bayern after joining in 2011 from Manchester City where he had been a teammate of Kompany. He helped Bayern win nine Bundesliga titles and two Champions League trophies. Boateng retired last month, last featuring for Austrian side LASK Linz where his contract was terminated by mutual consent in August. (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Toby Chopra)

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