Hoeness plays down Dortmund comments

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has now back-tracked on his patronising comments about rivals Borussia Dortmund.

The two clubs look set to battle it out for the Bundesliga title once again this term, with Dortmund having won the title for the past two seasons. But despite their rival's success, the Bavarians are still considered the top side in Germany, thanks to their success in the Champions League. Hoeness alluded to this fact in recent comments, when he suggested that BVB were only significant on a local scale while Bayern were known and respected worldwide. But now the 60-year-old has played down the significance of his words, saying: "I would definitely not disparage any of the good work Dortmund do." Bayern and Dortmund have already met once this season, with the latter losing 2-1 to the Champions League runners-up in the DFL-Super Cup.