Speaking to reporters before boarding the plane home in the wake of last night's humiliating 4-0 Champions League defeat by Barcelona, Klinsmann ruled out handing in his resignation and claimed he still has the necessary respect from his players.

"Obviously it is a tough time for the coach but we have got to stick together and now concentrate fully on the Bundesliga," he said.

"We all know why it has come to this but I am sure we will recover the three points that separate us from the top against Frankfurt on Saturday.

"We know that we now have to win the Bundesliga. I know what is in this team and have no doubt that they will show a reaction."

The Bavarians were practically knocked out of the Champions League after 45 minutes of the first leg of their quarter-final tie at the Nou Camp and, although they limited the damage in the second half, the chances of them overturning a four-goal deficit in Munich next week are bleak.

So, too, is the future of Klinsmann, who was not given his customary backing from the club's decision makers last night.

"We need to sleep on it first," said general manager Uli Hoeness after the match.

Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge added it would be "better to sleep on it one night and evaluate calmly before making a rational decision".

"The question is whether we should be angry or sad about what we have done here," Rummenigge added on the club's website.

"That was without a doubt a huge embarrassment which hurts us all.

"We have got to digest this, it was a shock. The 4-0 (scoreline) means we are out, that is for sure.

"Now we have got to make sure we reach our goals in the Bundesliga."

Rummenigge and Hoeness have yet to break their silence today but may do so upon the side's arrival back in Munich.

Bayern's charter flight from Barcelona was due to arrive back in Germany shortly before 2pm local time.

Klinsmann has seemingly been on the brink of losing his job for much of his debut season.

Bayern currently trail Bundesliga leaders Wolfsburg and Hamburg by three points and lie fourth, also behind Hertha Berlin.

They have also conceded nine goals in five days and history shows Hoeness and Rummenigge are not scared of making changes.

They terminated a contract with Ottmar Hitzfeld one year early in 2004 when it looked like they were going to miss out on the Bundesliga title, and shortly after being knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid.

His successor, Felix Magath, was then dismissed after 18 games of the 2006/07 season despite lying third in the table before, under Hitzfeld once again, they slipped to a final finish of fourth.

And Hitzfeld's second stint in charge was shortened during the winter break last year, even though they had led the Bundesliga since day one of the season.

The arrival of Klinsmann was announced six months before Hitzfeld left having sealed a league and cup double in emphatic style and reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup.