Events in the last few days before Christmas are still preying on Massimo Oddo’s mind: the Italian was suspended for three matches after receiving a red card in the last Bundesliga fixture before the winter break away to Stuttgart. “I was shocked when I heard about the ban,“ the 32-year-old revealed to fcbayern.de.
Despite this less than happy episode, Oddo is thoroughly enjoying life at Bayern and in the Bundesliga, and could well imagine staying at the Säbener Strasse beyond the end of the season, “although it’s not up to me alone, the decision also involves the club, the coach and the management.“ FCB have until “late March or April“ to exercise an option to purchase the on-loan player from AC Milan, general manager Uli Hoeneß reported.
Interview: Massimo Oddo
fcbayern.de: Massimo, you were given the afternoon off on Tuesday. Did you take the opportunity to watch your former AC Milan team-mates take on Hamburg in a friendly here in Dubai?
Massimo Oddo: “No, I wasn’t there. We’re training and working very hard, as we want to be in peak condition for the second half of the season. I chose to stay at the hotel and recover.“
fcbayern.de: This is your first-ever meaningful winter break. Does it feel a little strange?
Oddo: “The Italian league only stops for a couple of weeks, the winters aren’t as cold as they are in Germany (laughs). Having such a long break is a little unusual to me personally, but I must say it’s very pleasant. When you’re chasing three trophies, it’s good to have time off to recharge your batteries after the first half of the season.“
fcbayern.de: Have you mentally accepted your red card in Stuttgart and the severe disciplinary penalty it attracted?
Oddo: “I was shocked when I heard about the ban. I think three games is harsh. I can only repeat that I didn’t see my opponent in the incident, I was totally focused on the ball. My boot may have been a bit high, but I had no intention of endangering my opponent. I don’t agree with the severity of the punishment.“
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