Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl had the last laugh after hitting out at the Bild newspaper for a match rating they gave to Harry Kane.
Kane joined Bayern in a £100million deal in the summer of 2023, scoring 44 goals in 45 games in his debut campaign. But Bayern failed to win a major trophy.
Criticism of the side has been forthcoming ever since, even as they top the Bundesliga table, and with the England captain continuing to find the back of the net, scoring 31 goals in 34 games so far this term.
But his performances against top teams have come under the microscope, culminating in a low rating from Bild following Bayern's 4-1 win over Stuttgart last Friday. Kane played all 90 minutes, but failed to score and had just two touches in the Stuttgart box.
That earned him a grade of 5 from Bild, leaving Eberl furious. Ahead of the win over Bayer Leverkusen in Wednesday's Champions League last 16 first leg, the sporting director made his anger clear.
"Harry Kane simply wants to win titles. He has already achieved great things in his career, but he has never won a title. You notice that in the dressing room and also in training," he said.
"Even recently against Stuttgart - where the BILD newspaper gave him a grade of 5 - he ran 13 kilometers. For a center forward, that's actually utopian. He does it because he sacrifices himself for the team."
In response, Bild defended their grading. The paper said: "Against Stuttgart, Kane was not at all convincing in the penalty area and had almost no chances to score. That is how a striker is measured."
Eberl was proven right on Wednesday, with Kane playing a key role in the win over Leverkusen. He headed in Bayern's opener after just nine minutes, before winning and scoring a second-half penalty to put the game beyond Leverkusen.
His performance saw Bild award him a top 'A' grade in their match ratings. Kane was delighted with his display against Leverkusen, but warned the job is only half done for Bayern.
“It really is a big step in the right direction. We all know we’ve struggled for a while against Leverkusen. They’re a really good team. But today everyone’s focus was completely on it from the first minute and throughout the 90," he said.
"Half the job is done, but it’ll be decided next week. We need to approach that with the same mindset as today. On the whole, we had a lot of control. We could’ve even got a fourth goal at the end.”