Bayern Munich's Thomas Müller keen to get to work under new coach Niko Kovac
Bayern Munich attacker Thomas Müller spoke of a, “positive path forward together,” with new coach Niko Kovac as the Bundesliga champions continue with their preparations ahead of another huge season.
In an interview with FCBayern.TV, club legend Müller – who is fast approaching 300 Bundesliga appearances – expressed his delight at returning to first-team duty recently and outlined his hopes and expectations under the new man in charge at Säbener Strasse.
“Generally speaking, Niko Kovac and his brother (assistant Robert) are both former players so we should find a level we can operate on,” Müller said. “We all want Bayern to be successful, that’s clear and that’s why I’m confident we can find a positive path forward together.”
Müller, along with Bayern’s other stars who were on FIFA World Cup duty this summer, reported back for duty last week and underwent several tough workouts under co-assistant Peter Hermann. “We didn’t always see much of the ball so training has been very tense indeed,” the 28-year-old versatile attacker said. “Yesterday we had the day off and that was important for our legs after the first full week of training, during which we worked according to the plans of Niko Kovac.”
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Next up for the record Bundesliga champions is a rigorous eight-day training camp in the Bavarian idyll of Tegernsee, around 30 miles south of Munich. With many of Bayern’s first-teamers competing in International Champions Cup games in the United States recently, the camp offers coach Kovac a chance to put a next-to-full squad through their paces. Only France international Corentin Tolisso will be excused following his World Cup winning exploits in July.
“For those of us who weren’t on the US Tour, the next week is going to be an opportunity for us to familiarise ourselves with the new coach,” Müller said. “We will certainly exchange opinions and discuss certain things. We’ll see what the coach expects of the team and how he wants us to play; now is the time to find out.
“It’s nice to have a training camp in Bavaria again but it will be at least as hard as before,” Bayern’s Raumdeuter added. “The area is very beautiful and indeed I know it well. We live nearby but I honestly don’t expect us to see much more than the training grounds and the hotel. It’s not as if we’re going there for a boat ride and to dive for fish.”
Bayern will face FC Rottach-Egern in a friendly next Wednesday before meeting Kovac’s former side Eintracht Frankfurt in the Supercup on 12 August.