Champions League
Kahn’s appeal to Bayern: “I’ve experienced incredible things”
After the bankruptcy at Man City, Bayern are facing the premier class. photo
© Tom Weller/dpa
That’s it. Or not? FC Bayern needs a football miracle to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League. Coach Thomas Tuchel is “in love with shock”.
In the festive ballroom of the Clocktower Hotel, Oliver Kahn vividly demonstrated his legendary “go on, go on, keep going” mentality.
“I’ve experienced incredible things in football,” said the FC Bayern CEO after the 3-0 defeat at Manchester City in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Champions League. “We have a duty to throw in everything we can in this second leg.”
The clear defeat against the premier class favorites of the former Munich coach Pep Guardiola hurt – and was still difficult for the Bayern delegation to grasp with oysters, beef wellington or quinoa power salad on Wednesday night. On the one hand, the eleven, who started the game without captain Thomas Müller, sniffed at the equalizer when Leroy Sané shot from distance. On the other hand, she could have suffered an even greater defeat. The game was a “bit disgusting to analyze”, said captain Thomas Müller.
Guardiola: “Scored three fantastic goals”
“We’ll learn from it again, get up and try everything in the second leg. But of course it’s a miserable starting position,” said Leon Goretzka. Rodri put Manchester City ahead in the 27th minute. Bayern’s Dayot Upamecano started the 0:2 with a serious mistake by Bernardo Silva (70th). Super striker Erling Haaland (76th), preparer at 2-0, scored 3-0 for Manchester. “We scored three fantastic goals, it’s an excellent result,” said Guardiola.
After the end of the cup, there is not much to be said for another round of Munich in Europe’s best league. The result gave Bayern “a punch in the stomach,” said Müller, who surprisingly initially sat on the bench in this special quality test. “Of course everyone wants to be there,” said Müller. But especially as a captain, it’s not about individual questions. “It’s a decision you’re not super happy with, but you can handle it very well.”
That was less easy with the result a week after the cup defeat against SC Freiburg. Even without a chance at the cup title and after a bad result in the Champions League, you could see “that we’re playing good football,” said sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic. “We need a bit of time, including the team with the new coach.” The risk of separating from Julian Nagelsmann does not pay off, at least for this season. “Nevertheless, I believe that we will benefit a lot from the new coach,” said Joshua Kimmich.
Tuchel: “In love with my team”
Tuchel got off to a difficult start. Despite the bankruptcy at City, he praised his still new team extensively. “I refuse because somehow I’m badmouthing the performance. I saw a very, very good performance up to the 70th minute. I’m very satisfied,” said the 49-year-old.
It was of course a very bitter result that they had to digest first, admitted Tuchel, who was eliminated as the new Bayern coach a week ago in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup. He had already received the full program, said Tuchel, “but today I’m in love with my team”. It was fun coaching her.
A look at the history of the Champions League can at least give FC Bayern fans a little hope after the bankruptcy at Manchester City. The record German champions are under enormous pressure in the second leg in the coming weeks with the 3-0 loss in the first leg on Tuesday evening – but other teams have already caught up on such a deficit.