FC Bayern's Italian job
Munich - After eight productive days in their training camp in Trentino, northern Italy, FC Bayern Munich will return to Germany raring to go ahead of their first competitive game, the Supercup against Borussia Dortmund on 27 July.
If it aint broke…
Due to injuries and players on international duty at the end of 2012/13, new coach Pep Guardiola hasn’t yet had the opportunity to work with his full squad. Nevertheless, pre-season preparations have gone extremely well for a club looking defending three trophies this season. “It’s been a great week here,” said club captain Philipp Lahm.
Bayern have staged pre-season preparations in Trentino for the previous three seasons, and so there was no need to break the habit this time around. “Trentino feels like home,” said chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “We laid the foundations for a great season by coming here last year.”
The friendly programme has been none too taxing thus far, with games against amateur outfit TSV Regen and the fan club of Wildenau Weiden. However, they were given a healthy run-out against Serie B side Brescia Calcio while in Trentino, a game in which Toni Kroos, back from injury, looked particularly sharp with a well-taken goal in the 3-0 victory.
Lahm: ‘Half German, half English’
Skipper Lahm has seen it all before having been on all four trips to the Italian province, but the 29-year-old defender has had a rather different experience this time, helping to relay the instructions of Guardiola, still getting to grips with speaking in German, to the rest of the team.
“We’re communicating half in German, half in English. When it needs to be quick, it’s in English,” he told fcbayern.de. “But we’re on the same wavelength and I’m really enjoying it so far. Pep Guardiola has his own ideas.”
Homeward bound
The squad are due to return to Munich on Saturday (13 July) in time for a friendly game against SG Sonnenhof Großaspach, their fourth match in pre-season. It will likely come too soon for Germany internationals Mario Götze and Bastian Schweinsteiger, who are currently convalescing with groin and ankle problems respectively, though both are making good progress in their recovery.
Confederations Cup trio Dante, Luiz Gustavo and Javi Martinez are also not expected to rejoin the team until 17 July after being given an extended summer break. However, Guardiola can look forward to picking a completely full set of players by the time Bayern travel to Signal Iduna Park in a fortnight’s time, perhaps even with another new arrival on board.
