Fabio Capello has accused Bayern Munich's stars of failing to give their all under Carlo Ancelotti, who was sacked by the Bundesliga giants in September.
Bayern coasted to the league title in Ancelotti's first season in charge, but his tenure was blighted by rumours Die Roten's key players were unhappy with his methods.
An inauspicious start to this campaign culminated in a woeful showing in a 3-0 Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain and spelled the end of Ancelotti's reign.
Veteran coach Jupp Heynckes, who led Bayern to the treble in 2012-13, returned to the Allianz Arena to take over until the end of the season and the club have lost just once in all competitions under his leadership.
Capello suggested that it is no coincidence and believes Bayern's squad simply did not want to play under his compatriot.
"Heynckes is back on the bench and everyone wonders how he managed to get the team under control immediately. I think it was the players who took everything in hand," he told Sky Germany.
"The coach can do a lot of things, but if the players do not want to give that little extra, which they did not give to Ancelotti, you will not get an olive branch.
"They fought him, they wanted him to fly out. And to show that Heynckes is the right one, they give everything."
Bayern are 11 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga at the mid-season break and resume their domestic campaign at Bayer Leverkusen on January 12.
