The Real Champs
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Real Madrid: Q and A with The Bavarians ahead of the UCL semifinal

By Mushtaq Nizamdin

MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 18: Marcelo Vieira Da Silva of Real Madrid is followed by Joshua Kimmich of FC Bayern Munich during their 2016-17 UEFA Champions League Quarter-finals second leg match between Real Madrid and FC Bayern Munich at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on 18 April 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Power Sport Images/Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 18: Marcelo Vieira Da Silva of Real Madrid is followed by Joshua Kimmich of FC Bayern Munich during their 2016-17 UEFA Champions League Quarter-finals second leg match between Real Madrid and FC Bayern Munich at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on 18 April 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Power Sport Images/Getty Images) /
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Bayern Munich’s German head coach Jupp Heynckes (L) greets Bayern Munich’s Brazilian defender Rafinha being substituted during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg football match between Bayern Munich and Sevilla FC on April 11, 2018 in Munich, southern Germany. / AFP PHOTO / Odd ANDERSEN (Photo credit should read ODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images)
Bayern Munich’s German head coach Jupp Heynckes (L) greets Bayern Munich’s Brazilian defender Rafinha being substituted during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg football match between Bayern Munich and Sevilla FC on April 11, 2018 in Munich, southern Germany. / AFP PHOTO / Odd ANDERSEN (Photo credit should read ODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images) /

4. You won the Bundesliga in April with almost 10 games still to be played and about 20 points ahead of second place. Does that inflate the confidence of the players or even the fans?

“We secured a record sixth consecutive Bundesliga with five games to spare. This is after suffering one of the worst starts to a season in recent memory. I say that to say this, the team and fans both are full of confidence at the moment.”

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“This tie against Real Madrid represents the last big hurdle before the home stretch of the season and the possibility of another historic treble. Jupp Heynckes’ influence in this cannot be overstated either. As Raphael Honigstein is so fond of saying, Carlo Ancelotti did his best not to win the Bundesliga with Bayern.”

“Heynckes has completely erased all memories of the Italian’s disastrous reign, though. There’s now a sense within and around the club that this season really could be something special. So, is our confidence inflated? Perhaps, but for good reason.”

5. How does the announcement of a new manager before the season is even over play on the minds of players?

“The simple announcement of a new manager isn’t a big deal for the players at all. It’s been apparent for a long time that Jupp Heynckes would be leaving for good in the summer, so they’ve been prepared for that. However, the forthcoming manager himself could be a cause of concern for some. Niko Kovac is by no means the most experienced manager. He is definitely promising, having taken a relegation-battling Eintracht Frankfurt and turned them into top six contenders, but his lack of experience may be a turn-off for a few of the players who don’t exactly live and die for Bayern Munich.”

“Potential future Galactico Robert Lewandowski is the name that immediately comes to mind. If the Pole was already a bit unsettled at the club, Kovac’s appointment won’t be doing much to convince him to stay. But Lewandowski is nothing if not professional.”

“The impending managerial shift won’t at all affect his performances throughout the rest of the season. The same can be said for the rest of the squad. Like I mentioned earlier, they know this season has potential to be special, and that is what they’re focused on.”

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