Winning the Bundesliga title in his hometown made Tuesday evening all the more special for Jerome Boateng (c.)
Winning the Bundesliga title in his hometown made Tuesday evening all the more special for Jerome Boateng (c.)

Boateng: 'Plenty of records still to break'

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Berlin - The 3-1 win at Hertha Berlin that clinched a 23rd Bundesliga title for FC Bayern München was just that little bit more special for Jerome Boateng.

Not only did the towering defender grow up in the German capital, he also began his footballing journey there - with Hertha - so it comes as no surprise that the 25-year-old was appointed co-coordinator for the Bavarians’ title celebrations.

Boateng was however quick to underline that, festivities aside, the record titleholders couldn’t allow themselves to take their foot of the pedal with the defence of their DFB Cup and UEFA Champions League crowns still of the utmost importance.

Question:Jerome Boateng, congratulations on winning the title! There was a sense that your celebrations tonight were somewhat restrained...

Jerome Boateng: No, we’re all extremely delighted. I think that was clear to see come the final whistle. We’ve put a lot of hard work in to get to this point. It hasn’t always been easy, but we’ve never stopped trying to produce the performances we know we’re capable of in every single game. I have no doubt that we’ll continue performing at this level in our remaining fixtures this season.

Question: Now that the title has officially been wrapped up is there a danger that, as a result of the pressure being taken off your shoulders, the pivotal games in the UEFA Champions League could take a turn for the worse?

Boateng: The pressure on the domestic front is definitely gone, but in spite of that we’ve got to maintain our concentration levels. There are plenty of records for us still to break, which is why we’re still determined to win our last seven league games. We’ve got some tough opponents left to face in the Bundesliga, which will be good tests for us ahead of our UEFA Champions League matches. Aside from that we still want to lift the DFB Cup again. There’s still plenty of life left in us this season.

Question: So you don’t think it’s a dangerous situation to be in?

Boateng: No I don’t think there’s any danger. We’ll only make things difficult for ourselves if we become complacent, but we’re adamant that we’re not going to let it come to that.

Question: How long a night is in store for the team?

Boateng: We’ll have to wait and see. It depends on how long the coach [Pep Guardiola] and Matthias Sammer let us stay out, but I think we’ve earned ourselves a celebration tonight [laughs].

Question: As a Berlin native have you been appointed as the official party coordinator.

Boateng: I’m the co-coordinator!

André Anchuelo reporting from Berlin

Click the video below for a montage from Bayern sponsor Adidas in appreciation of the Reds' tremendous efforts this season.