Rivals mull response to all-conquering Reds

FCBayernNews · News fetcher Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 1233 votes: 2

06.05.2008

Bayern fans and officials alike are only too delighted at the club’s fourth domestic double in the last six seasons (2003, 2005, 2006, 2008), but another crushing display of supremacy from the country’s most successful club has set the alarm bells ringing elsewhere, as sections of the Bundesliga fear Munich are setting standards the others cannot hope to match.

”There’s a great danger of Bayern winning the title three or four times in the next five years,” commented Leverkusen Director of Sport Rudi Völler, describing Munich as “unrivalled” in the German league in terms of financial resources. Wolfsburg boss Felix Magath believes the newly-crowned champions are “on a par with the biggest clubs of them all, the Real Madrids, AC Milans and Arsenals.“

Focus on the Champions League

The view from outgoing champions VfB Stuttgart is that the gap between Bayern and the rest is set to widen. “A couple of clubs could have got at Bayern this season. I think it’ll be more difficult in the years to come, because their team will become even more settled,” VfB coach Armin Veh commented. “They’ll up the ante again and set their sights on winning the Champions League,“ reflected Stuttgart Director of Sport Horst Heldt.

Europe’s most prestigious club competition will assuredly assume enormous significance at Bayern in 2008-9. “The Champions League is more important than anything else next season,“ Uli Hoeneß freely admitted after Sunday’s draw in Wolfsburg. Schalke manager Andreas Müller is convinced the Bavarians can shine on the continental stage: “Many people are saying Bayern won’t play a major role in next season’s Champions League, but I don’t believe that for one moment.“

Far from serial champions

Bayern may have dominated the domestic scene this season, but some of their rivals have already laid down the gauntlet for next term. “They’ve been clearly the best this season, but that doesn’t mean Bayern will win the championship every year from now on. Clubs like Werder, Stuttgart and indeed ourselves are always in with a chance of matching them over the course of a full season,” Schalke manager Müller insisted.

Magath, who guided Bayern to the double in 2005 and 2006, took a similar position. “The Bundesliga will remain exciting,” the VfL Wolfsburg supremo asserted. Hamburg Director of Sport Dietmar Beiersdorfer called up an example from history: “Franz Beckenbauer predicted Germany would be invincible after winning the 1990 World Cup, but that wasn’t the case then, and it won’t be the case with Bayern now.“