Hoeness claims Dortmund is not world class

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has claimed that Borussia Dortmund is not at a world class level yet.

The German champions have received widespread praise for nurturing a string of young stars such as Mats Hummels and Mario Gotze, but according to the 60-year-old, they should not be mentioned in the same breath as some of their more established contemporaries.

"At the moment, Dortmund have the hungrier players, but they are not world class," the president told Sky.

Hoeness also dropped Bayern's biggest hint yet that its focus is on the Champions League rather than pipping Borussia Dortmund to the Bundesliga title or lifting the DFB Pokal.

The Bavarians have seen their bid for first in the league falter in recent weeks as Saturday's goalless draw with Mainz means they now lag eight points behind BVB with only four matches remaining.

However, they also have a domestic cup final to look forward to on May 12, also against their bitter rivals, but Hoeness appears to have only one objective on his mind for the rest of the campaign.

"At the beginning of the season, if you asked me what I would prefer to win between the Bundesliga and reaching the final of the Champions League in Munich, you can guess what I would have answered with," added the official.

Bayern looks to gain the upper hand in their Champions League semifinal first leg against Real Madrid, with the match at the Allianz Arena starting at 2:45 p.m. ET on Tuesday.