New FC Bayern München coach Jürgen Klinsmann has vowed to make changes at the club and said the German double winners were good enough to reach next year's UEFA Champions League final.
Klinsmann, in his first club coaching job after leading Germany to third place at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, stated his goals for the season were a domestic double and European success. "Expectations are always the highest at Bayern," the 43-year-old told his first news conference in Munich. "We want to win both German titles, the Bundesliga and the German Cup. And we want to be in the Champions League all the way to the end." The former striker said he believed his players would respond favourably to changes in training, as well as new language and educational programmes he has set up. "I'm full of joy and pride to be able to work here and to change some things," he said. "At the same time I know I'll have to live with the fact that there might be a few people not happy about the developments."
New skills
Klinsmann's centrepiece is a new performance training facility. Players will spend the entire day – from 9.30 until 17.30, at least in pre-season – training and learning new skills, such as improving German and foreign languages. "I'm not worried," he said. "I think the players are looking forward to it. I think this is a young generation waiting to be inspired, stimulated and motivated. We'll see after a few months how it's going. I think it'll release a lot of new energies. My philosophy is to make every player better every day. I'd like to help players get to the next level."
Quest for knowledge
The Bayern boss said he had spent the last two years travelling and learning, spending time in South America and also with the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns basketball teams. "I did a lot of travelling," he said. "And obviously I spent a lot of effort to learn more about football. It's my belief that everyone can learn something from someone else. You just have to open yourself up to it. Matches are decided in the head. It's important to keep learning, to stay hungry to learn more."
Attractive football
He also promised Bayern would play an aggressive, attacking and attractive style – not unlike the system he introduced to the national team four years ago. "We'll have a system where we'll be assertive, set the pace of the match and try to dominate," he said. "It's a secondary issue how the opponent plays us. It doesn't matter who we're playing against in the Champions League. Bring 'em on!"
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Klinsmann sets sights on European glory
Posted by Ali Mahrus
Labels: Championship, English