ON TRACK FOR TREBLE: File photo of Bayern Munich supporters holding up a cardboard cut-out of the Champions League (left), German DFB Cup (right) and Bundesliga trophies, in this May 11 file photo. — Reuters photo
BERLIN: Champions League winners Bayern Munich aim to make themselves ‘immortal’ by clinching an historic treble in tomorrow’s German Cup final against VfB Stuttgart, Germany star Thomas Mueller said on Wednesday.
“No one’s been there before. We want to immortalise ourselves, now we can write history,” said Mueller, who said the German Cup final has “increased in importance” after their Wembley victory.
Bayern are bidding to become the first German team to achieve a historic treble of European, league and cup titles at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, as they look to lift the domestic cup for the sixteenth time.
“We have to win, but a final is always difficult,” said Bayern’s 30-year-old France star Franck Ribery.
“We must motivate ourselves again. If we lose, something will be missing (from our season),” said the 30-year-old, who is set to renew his contract until 2017.
Bayern won the Bundesliga, setting or equalling 25 German league records, but can achieve the treble, which no other German team – including the Munich side which won the European Cup for three consecutive years in the 1970s – has achieved.
“This team has already entered the history books, but they can make themselves immortal now as the most successful Bayern team of all time,” said chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
“The generation including (Franz) Beckenbauer, (Gerd) Mueller and (Sepp) Meier in the 1970s, never managed to win the lot.
“The only mistake we could make, and it’s doing the rounds in the media at the moment, is to think we’re approaching the easiest part and we’ll easily beat VfB Stuttgart.
“We won’t! We have to concentrate 100 per cent.
“Stuttgart didn’t have a great Bundesliga season, but they can salvage the whole thing by beating the Champions League winners. Stuttgart will be totally motivated.”
In the euphoria of their Wembley triumph, Rummenigge showed a lack of respect when he told the Bayern squad they should enjoy the post-Champions League celebrations as they can beat Stuttgart, even if tipsy.
“I’m surprised that he said that. You need to have a little respect for your opponents, but on the other hand, I can also understand that someone expresses themselves in a moment of euphoria,” Stuttgart’s director of sport Fredi Bobic told Sport Bild.
“Anyone who is afraid to go into the final should play golf.”
Stuttgart coach Bruno Labbadia suggested tomorrow’s final is a David versus Golaith scenario, describing his team as a “small-vehicle manufacturer” compared to Bayern’s “Mercedes Benz” production-line of top-class football.
“We actually considered in the past few days whether we should even compete at all,” he sarcastically told the Stuttgarter Nachrichten.
“It’s a good thing to play in a final and we believe you can beat a seemingly all-powerful team on a perfect day.”
Labbadia said Stuttgart needed to prove they are “an absolutely solid team, plus have a few players – ideally all of them – that grow into the game”, while Bayern would need to have “not one of their best days”. — AFP