Bayern Munich medical team resign after being blamed for Champions League loss

Bayern Munich's medical team have resigned with immediate effect after being blamed for the club's Champions League defeat by Porto.

Reports in Germany say the Bavarians' chief doctor Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt walked out after 38 years with the club, taking his team with him.

Pep Guardiola was without injured stars Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Mehdi Benatia, Bastian Schweinsteiger, David Alaba and Javi Martinez for the trip to Lisbon on Wednesday night.

The Bundesliga giants lost 3-1, and a statement released by Müller-Wohlfahrt on Thursday confirmed the medical department had been forced to quit the club after being held responsible for the result.

The statement read: "After the Champions League match of Bayern Munich against Porto the medical department was for some inexplicable reason made primarily responsible. The bond of trust has been damaged."

The 72-year-old club doctor has been an key figure at the club since joining in 1977, and has also worked with legendary German tennis player Boris Becker, sprinter Usain Bolt, runner Paula Radcliffe and the German national team.

When contacted by the German press, Bayern refused to comment on Müller-Wohlfahrt's resignation, saying they were unaware of it.

The relationship between the club's doctor and manager has been visibly strained this season. When Benatia went off injured against Bayer Leverkusen in the German Cup recently, a furious Guardiola walked straight over to Müller-Wohlfahrt on the bench and clapped sarcastically in his face.

The so called 'celebrity doctor' is lauded by many throughout the sporting world, but there are also those who doubt his methods.

He is a classically trained physician, but one who uses methods many would consider homeopathy. He's fond of injecting his patients' injuries with substances such as Actovegin - a heavily-filtered form of calves' blood - and some of his methods are illegal in countries such as the US.