Hoeness: You can't expect Javi Martinez to play like Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo

Sep 27, 2012 10:25:00 AM

The Bayern supremo has admitted they were forced to pay over the odds for the Spaniard, but feels that is no reason to expect the midfielder to play like a world-class striker

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has insisted that people should not be expecting anything out of the ordinary from Javi Martinez just because of his hefty price-tag.

The holding midfielder left Athletic Bilbao for Bayern for a record fee of €40 million in the summer transfer window, but Hoeness has stressed that Javi Martinez's job is to protect the Bayern back-four rather than be decisive in attack like Barcelona star Lionel Messi and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

"You can not expect him to play like Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo just because he cost us €40m," Hoeness was quoted as saying by TZ.

"He cost us €40m because that was his release fee, but normally we would have paid €10 to €15m for him.

"We don't expect him to play like Messi or Ronaldo. It's his job to protect our defence and make sure we don't concede goals."

The 24-year-old has made four Bundesliga appearances up till date.

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