Oliver Kahn took the powerful top game statement from the Bayern pros in the Munich snowstorm as a welcome template for a few clear announcements as top boss.
After his visit to the dressing room after the seemingly masterful 3-0 victory over Union Berlin, he slowly strolled through the interview zone of the Allianz Arena and was only too happy to stand in front of the journalists. Kahn wanted to speak on Sunday night – and a key message was: “That was an important moment in the season – for everything.” The changing of the guard in the Bundesliga was initially averted – and a signal was sent.
Powerful words from Bayern Titan
When Kahn lectures about football, the former goalkeeper titan and captain, who knows and understands the mechanisms at Bayern better than many others, still speaks from the CEO. For Kahn, now is the time for a permanent “mia san mia” on the pitch – in all competitions. “Now the mood in the team needs to be there to accept the fight for the German championship and the excitement to keep the focus up. Because now one decision after the other is coming. And FC Bayern has always been particularly good in these moments. “
The Bayern boss simply interpreted the unusually close title race in everyday league life with the Dortmunders tied on points as the main rival (“You’re in a good mood, we’ve been warned”) as an opportunity before the big tests like against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. “Maybe it’s not that bad overall. It’s good if you have to fight in all competitions if you have to stay tuned. That increases the tension and keeps it up,” said Kahn: “When it’s tight, the players show themselves who take responsibility.”
Fueled by jamming fires
Even the latent unrest since the beginning of the year with various side shows Kahn gets something good. “At FC Bayern there is always “some interference”. And a bit of friction isn’t that bad either. If we all try to be in harmony here, that’s not always the best thing either,” said the 53-year-old, who as a Goalkeeper also shook teammates on the pitch. Friction and pressure create power.
There was pressure against Union, even if the Berliners were not an equal opponent three days after their European highlight against Ajax Amsterdam. “We didn’t have a chance. Bayern were two or three classes better than us,” admitted coach Urs Fischer. It was the Bayern classic. “We showed that we’re there when we need to be there,” said Thomas Müller, who concluded: “That’s how we want to appear as Bayern Munich. If we use this game as an example, we can achieve a lot.”
Record champion puts the egos on the back burner
As a coach, Julian Nagelsmann had drawn important conclusions from the 2: 3 in Gladbach. As a two-time goal preparer and mouthpiece, Müller was once again the loud leader. “He’s an important factor with his huge experience,” commented Kahn. The return of Kingsley Coman, a goalscorer alongside Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Jamal Musiala, gave the offensive game a boost. “King is one of the top two or three outside players in the world,” said Nagelsmann with greetings to bench pressers Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sané. The 25-minute comeback by star striker Sadio Mané even fuels the “healthy competition”, as sports director Hasan Salihamidzic rejoiced.
“That’s exactly how we have to play. We want to have this dominance, this presence, this tackle strength, this mentality,” said Salihamidzic. Constantly pushing the limit is the boss’s requirement. A team evening before the top game probably contributed to the Union boost. “Very important” was this, said Coman. According to Müller, one result of the internal exchange should be “putting the egos at the service of the team”.
Bayern is looking forward to BVB
Kahn welcomed “the initiative” of the team. “Moments like this are important, that you can express your opinion in the team circle and clear things up. These are small moments that can ultimately be a piece of the mosaic for success.” After all, Kahn suspects that the road to the eleventh championship title in a row will be rocky after years of going it alone. “It’s tighter this year. We can’t afford to slip up anymore.”
Only four more days of play, then BVB, who are just rushing from victory to victory, will show up in Munich. Bayern are looking forward to it, as national player Leon Goretzka announced after the powerful title statement against Union: “I said at the beginning of the season that Dortmund is our main competitor. That’s the way it is, it will probably stay that way – and that’s good too so.”
