The German Bundesliga starts on August 5, and heinnews is providing extensive coverage in the buildup to the 2011-12 season with a club preview each day. Today is record champions Bayern Munich.
An aggravated Bayern Munich is not a good sight for the rest of the German Bundesliga. And Bayern management were extremely aggravated last season, which ended with Munich in third place and just barely securing a spot in the Champions League qualification. Now, it’s time for Munich to return to what they feel is their rightful place – atop the Bundesliga.
And new – and former – head coach Jupp Heynckes will most likely do that this season. Despite the season nearing and there still being holes in the Munich backline – which could tighten a bit with the signings of Jerome Boateng and Rafinha – Bayern are overwhelming favorites for the title.
Heycknes, who comes to his former team after guiding Bayer Leverkusen to the Champions League, has brought some of the fun back to the grounds at Säbener Strasse in Munich.
A major help will be that winger Arjen Robben will be ready for the start of the season after missing the entire first half of 2010-11. And tireless worker Ivica Olic could be close to full health and fitness when the season starts.
Bayern will also have a true ace and no issue – on the pitch – between the posts as German national team keeper Manuel Neuer arrived from Schalke on a five-year deal. The Bayern ultra fans have been less than welcoming to Neuer, but that will change when he starts winning matches for Munich.
Bayern also lost a couple of big names in Hamit Altintop to Real Madrid and Miroslav Klose to Lazio Rome. But Munich welcomes back the 19-year-old midfielder David Alaba, who matured greatly with playing time last season on loan at Hoffenheim. And Bayern added forward Nils Petersen from Energie Cottbus.
Munich also look to catch lightning in a bottle like Borussia Dortmund did last season with Shinji Kawaga with the signing of 19-year-old Japanese attacking midfielder Takashi Usami from Gamba Osaka.
One thing is certain, Heycknes will be better off than he was last season – and he took Leverkusen to second place.
“He proved with Leverkusen that he is a good coach. And he has even more quality here,” Bayern leader Bastian Schweinsteiger said about Heynckes in kicker on July 11.
“The goals are naturally different than in Leverkusen. Heynckes knows that as he was coach here before. Now we have to make sure that we fulfill the expectations that we have for ourselves.”