AOn the way to the end of the day, Thomas Müller demonstratively embodied FC Bayern’s mia-san-mia, which at least at first glance seemed to have been regained. “Here we are again! We’ll get this thing,” said the Munich captain after the difficult 2-0 win against bottom Hertha BSC, who were in serious danger of being relegated.
The series champion took advantage of Borussia Dortmund’s blunder at 1-1 in Bochum, which was hotly debated because of a missed penalty kick. “We have taken the step and still have to take four more steps,” said coach Thomas Tuchel, who was done and relieved. After the sadness of four games without a win, the 49-year-old was not the only one to breathe a sigh of relief.
After the end of the cup and Champions League, the much-criticized bosses Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic clearly saw the importance of this moment of happiness in the Bundesliga. “I think the team noticed what was at stake,” said CEO Oliver Kahn.
Munich concentration on sports
“In a phase like this, it’s not about winning the beauty prize, it’s about winning and taking the lead in the table – and we’ve done that.” None of the winners were bothered that the success over the limited bottom of the table from the capital was very tough to look at over long stretches.
The 53-year-old boat is said to be wobbling. When asked if he would still be CEO in the coming season, he replied: “But of course I’m still here.” “We will certainly also be very analytical and ask ourselves a lot of questions,” said the former Bayern captain. “It’s not like we think everything that’s happened here in the last few months is good.”
First of all, however, it is his “great responsibility, as CEO of FC Bayern Munich, to focus one hundred percent on the sporting side,” said Kahn. His focus is therefore “not on any discussions,” said Kahn, “but my focus is only on the German championship – and that’s what it’s about.”
When asked about the future of Kahn, the head of the supervisory board, Herbert Hainer, preferred to refer to the remaining title target. “We’re all concentrating on the sporting side,” said the President. “That’s the most important thing that happens on the field, and that we win the eleventh German championship.” Apart from that, “of course we analyze and debate the overall situation, discuss it calmly, internally and also very carefully, how to do it from the FC Bayern is also used to,” said Hainer.
On Sunday afternoon, Serge Gnabry (69th minute) and Kingsley Coman (79th) ensured that the series champion was back on course for the eleventh cup in a row. “Only FCB will be German champions!” Thousands of supporters sang after the final whistle when the team presented themselves freed after hard work in front of the curve. “It took a long time, a little too long, because we missed great opportunities,” said the visibly relieved Tuchel on the DAZN streaming service.
Coman said: “We are very satisfied, it was not easy. We had a lot of chances and then scored two great goals.” The president was also satisfied on the last day of April. “We brought Labor Day up a day,” said Hainer. “Now we’re top of the table, it’s in our own hands,” he emphasized – and set the motto for the final four matchdays. “Win four times, then we are German champions.”
Sports director Hasan Salihamidzic also relies on this. “I would like to be champions and see our boys on the balcony and I will do everything for that,” said Salihamizdic, who also has to push ahead with personnel planning for the new season. “We will have talks, but we are now fully focused on the championship fight.”
Bremen (away), Schalke (home), Leipzig (home) and Cologne (away) are the final tasks for Munich. “We can all count and do arithmetic and have to win four games,” said two-time preparer Joshua Kimmich. Munich have been one point ahead of BVB since Sunday. He still meets Wolfsburg (at home), Mönchengladbach (at home), Augsburg (away) and Mainz (at home).
