Capítulo 31: Bayern Munich Invitation
Germany, Bavaria, Bayern Munich Club.
Inviting teams to participate in the Deutsche Telekom Cup is merely a trivial matter for them.
They don't really care about it.
Their focus lies on the team's performance in the upcoming season.
The Bundesliga giants have endured a few disappointing seasons, going trophy-less for the past two years.
Last season, they suffered defeats from their direct rival, Dortmund, both in the league and the final of the German Cup, where they were completely outplayed and lost 2-5 to their opponent.
This has brought great shame upon Bayern Munich. Although they try to find comfort in winning the Champions League trophy in exchange for their league frustrations, sadly, they also fell short in that competition.
They reached the top 16 in the 2010-2011 season and made it to the final in the 2011-2012 season, but were unable to secure the title.
Bayern Munich is yearning for redemption and a chance to rewrite their story.
Fortunately, under the guidance of coach Heynckes, the team's performance improved steadily.
Making it to the Champions League final last season is already an achievement, indicating their potential for future success.
Given some time, Heynckes would undoubtedly lead Bayern back to the top.
However, Heynckes shocked Bayern by expressing his desire to retire in such circumstances.
The importance of a good coach is well understood by Bayern Munich.
Their previous appointment of dutch coach Van Gaal resulted in the team's worst start in history, suffering defeats in the league, german cup, and Champions League.
This made the club's board of members angry, So they decided to fire him early and bring back Heynckes.
The results confirmed that the old coach is a better fit for Bayern.
Heynckes not only halted the decline but also led Bayern to the Champions League final.
They were very close to lifting the trophy but lost to Chelsea in a penalty shootout.
This season, Bayern's young players have shown further improvement, and their tactical system has become more refined.
They are determined to win the league championship and even the Champions League this season, marking their resurgence as a European powerhouse.
However, just when they were brimming with ambition and planning to rebuild the Bayern dynasty, Heynckes unexpectedly expressed his desire to retire.
This news overwhelmed Bayern. Heynckes, at the age of 67, considered himself too old to continue leading the team, despite Manchester United's coach, Sir Alex Ferguson, who is four years older, still actively coaching.
In response to club chairman Rummenigge's attempts to persuade him, Heynckes declined, stating his preference for a life away from the spotlight.
He expressed concerns about his age and physical capabilities, desiring to retire while he could still enjoy his hobbies.
Heynckes assured Rummenigge that he would remain with the team until the end of the season and would assist in the search for next coach if needed.
During this period, you have enough time to contact other outstanding coaches, listen to their coaching philosophy, and find the most suitable candidates for Bayern.
Of course, Heynckes wanted to ensure that the club had ample time to find a suitable replacement and prevent any chaos if he were to suddenly announce his retirement without a coach in place.
Rummenigge, became disappointed but understand Heynckes's difficulty, also acknowledged the difficulty in finding a good coach.
Today, the best coaches are already famous, making it challenging to recruit them.
Despite Bayern's dominance in the Bundesliga, their financial resources pale in comparison to the top European clubs.
Rummenigge even considered bringing back legendary coach Hitzfeld, who had previously coached the Swiss national team.
However, he dismissed the idea, recognizing that Hitzfeld's methods were outdated and no longer suitable for the current team.
Bayern needed a coach with exceptional skills, a deep understanding of the latest football tactics, particularly possession-based tactics.
Club general manager Uli Hoeness suggested an intriguing option—a coach who is currently available and happened to have a connection with Germany.
This coach is none other than former Barcelona coach, Guardiola.
The mentioning of Guardiola excited Rummenigge as he knew the impact Guardiola's coaching style had made in the football world.
There are many top coaches in football today, but there are only two coaches who are the most popular: Guardiola and Mourinho!
These two belong to the top level of football in terms of strength and fame.
The pass and possession tactics is currently leading the modern tactics specially Barcelona's tiki-taka under Guardiola.
Inviting him to coach Bayern and implementing Barcelona's tiki-taka style could propel the team to new heights.
However, Rummenigge expressed doubt about whether Guardiola would accept the invitation, considering his previous rejection of Barcelona.
The Bundesliga's competitiveness is lower than La Liga, and its financial strength is not as robust.
Therefore, top coaches might not be easily lured to the league.
Hoeness proposed inviting Guardiola in the guise of watching the Telecom Cup, as Guardiola's adopted son played for a Bundesliga team participating in the tournament.
This would allow Rummenigge to personally interview Guardiola and demonstrate Bayern's sincerity.
The success of the invitation depended on the outcome of their conversation and sincerity.
Rummenigge and Hoeness both showed a smile, acknowledging the thoroughness of Hoeness's plan.
Rummenigge entrusted the matter to Hoeness, reminding him not to miss the opportunity.
(End of chapter)
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