Germany’s early World Cup exit an advantage for Bayern Munich: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

Berlin, July 26: Germany’s early group exit at the 2018 World Cup is an advantage for Bayern Munich, said the club’s chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

“We have all our players back preparing for next season,” the former German international said while on the club’s US tour.

Rummenigge is optimistic Bayern Munich will have a good season and expressed the club’s intention to try to “win every competition we participate in.” The 62-year-old emphasized Bayern’s big ambitions for the new season. He felt a treble was well within their reach last season. The holder of 95 caps for Germany, expects the club’s internationals will show that the poor performance at the World Cup was an “accident”. In his experience, players generally want to make up for a tournament where they didn’t produce the goods. The 2018 World Cup was “not the norm, but an exception. It’s a matter of honor for them to do better,” the Bayern official said.

Only one of Bayern’s internationals (Corentin Tolisso) made it to the 2018 final.

The German internationals Thomas Mueller, Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, Joshua Kimmich and Polish striker Robert Lewandowski were eliminated in the group stage. Spanish midfielder Thiago and striker James Rodriguez (Columbia) departed in the last 16. The majority of the World Cup participants “had enough recovery time to get into top shape,” Rummenigge added.

Rummenigge ’s statements increase the pressure on the team and the coach to deliver after the side failed to reach the Champions League final and to win the German Cup final. Rummenigge said the club is expecting more now.

In addition to Rummenigge, coach Niko Kovac also expects a good performance. Bayern’s new coach said he doesn’t expect to have a lot of work to do on the mental side of things. The feeling of going forward and of creating a new era is increasing the ambition and optimism, Kovac said.

Bayern’s golden-agers Franck Ribery (35) and Arjen Robben (34) are comfortable entering the last years of their careers.

They support younger challengers like Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry and Canadian wonder boy, 17-year-old Alphonso Davies, who will form part of Bayern’s new generation down the flanks. Davies is a part of the club’s new transfer strategy of concentrating on scouting youngsters instead of buying expensive established stars.

The young fraction could soon be joined by Manchester United’s Anthony Martial. The 22-year-old French winger is on Bayern’s radar, according to media reports from England. It is reported that United’s plans allow Martial to leave but said he won’t be allowed to join a Premier League opponent. Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal could head to Manchester in a swap deal. Bayern’s defense might see the addition of French 2018 World Cup winner Benjamin Pavard.

According to several media reports, Jerome Boateng will move to Paris St Germain. Defender Pavard is said to have agreed on a deal to join Bayern either using an exit clause for 2019 (35 million euros) or leaving this summer for up to 45 million euros from VfB Stuttgart. IANS