A spy was among the 69,000 crowd at the Allianz Arena for the Beckenbauer testimonial on Friday evening. Germania Windeck coach Heiko Scholz came along in person to watch Bayern against Real Madrid. In three days time, his fifth-tier team take on holders Munich in the DFB Cup first round.
“There’s no need for me to motivate any of my players specially,” commented Scholz, a cup winner as a player with Bayer Leverkusen in 1993 and Locomotive Leipzig in 1987. Germania will deploy all the usual tools of the underdogs – spirit, robust tackling, hard running and grit – against the overwhelming favourites. “We’re not going there with the aim of just keeping the score in single figures,” said Scholz. He has chosen a different method to fire up his men: “You should always have it in the back of your mind.”
“It” is the thought of a major upset. “We’re not dreamers, but Bayern certainly won’t underestimate us. My players are the centre of public attention and they’re measuring themselves against the best there is. There really isn’t anything finer for a small club,” declared Scholz. In pre-season, the fifth division outfit have shown they are capable of holding their own against bigger clubs. The NRW Liga side drew 0-0 with Bundesliga club FC Köln, and 1-1 with second division Rot-Weiß Oberhausen.
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