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26/07/2001 (www.fcbayern.de)
Exclusive interview with Ottmar Hitzfeld
'I am never completely satisfied'
Football's close season is drawing to an end, and the first League clash of the new term is imminent, with Bayern facing newly-promoted Borussia M�nchengladbach on Saturday. Ottmar Hitzfeld's men could certainly have wished for an easier task, especially given their less than impressive performances in recent friendlies - so much so that the defending champions' form ahead of the new season is difficult to assess accurately.
Bayern's coach, talking exclusively to our online team, reflects on a less than totally satisfactory last few weeks. "I am never completely satisfied. Our results have not been particularly good," said Hitzfeld. In particular, Bayern's new players were taking time to adapt, "they have been extremely nervous and now need to get fully integrated."
Nonetheless, the 52 year-old is optimistic about the new season, in which Stefan Effenberg will once again have a key role. "He is the brains of the team," said Hitzfeld firmly.
Ottmar Hitzfeld, you've just completed four weeks' pre-season training with your team. You had your last pre-season friendly on Tuesday evening. Are Bayern Munich ready for the first game of the new season on Saturday?
Ottmar Hitzfeld: We shall see in Gladbach. Our results in pre-season friendlies were certainly not particularly good. But I'm relaxed about this, pre-season games are not necessarily the best measure of progress. What is important is whether we win our first competitive game. If you do, you gain plenty in self-confidence, and the rest follows on automatically afterwards.
But at the moment, it's certainly difficult to say what shape Bayern are in.
Hitzfeld: Yes, you're right. This year we have an extremely large squad, it has not been at all easy for me to give every player the competitive practice he needs - and pre-season training is supposed to do just that. That's why I made so many substitutions during our friendly games, and as a consequence the rhythm and flow suffered. If you are concentrating on a core of 12 or 13 players you can get them to gel much better, the machinery gets going much quicker. But then you run the risk that the rest of your players never hit top form.
Despite many changes to the squad do you already have an idea of your first team, which positions are already filled - at least in your own mind?
Hitzfeld: Of course, I've already got some positions fixed in my mind, I have my ideas and I know already who will play together with whom and how the defence will look. But I don't want to say more than this at the moment, at least until I've spoken to the players. And they will hear it from me on Friday during our team talk.
During the close season you've kept it very flexible in defence. You've played with Pablo Thiam as defensive chief, but also with Ciriaco Sforza, and then you played a four-man back line. Is it your intention to keep the defensive line as flexible as possible this season?
Hitzfeld: Yes, we want to be able to play to our strengths as best we can, depending on our opponents. In fact we can play all sorts of defensive systems, with man-to-man marking or with a back four. My choice is entirely dependent on the strengths of my players, and I have never attempted to force anybody to play in a particular system. That's why I'm happy to allow the team to play a variety of systems.
Overall, are you satisfied with the way pre-season training went?
Hitzfeld: I am never completely satisfied. Our results were not particularly good, just look at our exit from the League Cup, we really wanted to win that. But I've experimented a lot, our new arrivals were extremely nervous and now they have to get fully integrated. They need to work on building up their self confidence, because when you come to Bayern, you need to have a tough psyche and possess plenty of self-belief. But I remain optimistic about our opening game in Monchengladbach.
Is last year's success a motivating factor, or is it a burden hanging over the new season?
Hitzfeld: It is most certainly a burden being both Champions' League holders and defending champions in Germany. Now everyone expects us to win all our league games two or three nil, and that of course is a heavy weight on the team's shoulders. But on the other hand we just have to go out with plenty of self-belief. We are one of the best teams in the world, and we know what we are capable of. Nevertheless, we have to start again from scratch, and we need a couple of wins to get back into top form.
Your first league game sees you visiting a newly-promoted team. How do you feel about that?
Hitzfeld: You don't get to choose your opponent. But it's never easy to go to a newly-promoted team for your first game. Teams like that are driven on by a certain euphoria and massive public interest. We have to get our attitude right, we know there will be a white-hot atmosphere.
Who do you see as your closest rivals in this year's title race?
Hitzfeld: It will be the teams who were there or thereabouts last year: Schalke, Dortmund, Hertha Berlin and Leverkusen. But you never know, maybe there will be a surprise package who end up playing above themselves. Whatever happens, it will be another incredibly tense season, because a number of clubs have considerably improved the quality of their squads. It will be tougher and tougher for Bayern to win the league, because the other clubs have also caught up in financial terms.
Which of your two major titles - the Champions' League or the Bundesliga - due you think you have the best chance of defending?
Hitzfeld: We want to defend both titles, but we'll see how it goes over the course of the season.
There has been a great deal of discussion in the last few weeks as to Stefan Effenberg's future. What do you expect from your captain in the coming season, perhaps his last with Bayern?
Hitzfeld: Stefan will again be the leader of the team, he is the brains of the team. He's tremendously ambitious and it doesn't matter if he goes at the end of the season or extends his contract, I'm convinced we'll enjoy yet more success with him.
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