‘I once begged Hargreaves to give me his boots’

Bastian Schweinsteiger’s last-gasp goal against Wolfsburg earned Bayern their sole Bundesliga victory so far this season. The champions are determined to make it two wins against FC Köln on Saturday, as the 26-year-old told Bayern-Magazin, the club’s official journal. The Munich youth product spoke of his attachment to the club, his Bavarian roots, and his future with FCB. He revealed how much he enjoys facing Lukas Podolski on the field of play, and why he is delighted when the Oktoberfest comes round every year. fcbayern.de presents extracts from the major interview.

Bayern-Magazin: This weekend, you face FC Köln and your friend and former team-mate Lukas Podolski, although it never worked out for him at Bayern. Why do you think that was?
Bastian Schweinsteiger: Lukas arrived in 2006 with all eyes on him after the World Cup. It didn’t go well for him at the start and he was singled out for a lot of criticism, although I remain convinced he had the potential. Some people said it was all because he chose to live outside the city, but I never understood that – in Cologne, he doesn’t exactly live in the shadow of the cathedral.

Five years have passed since Germany fell for a couple of fresh, cheeky young footballers named Schweini and Poldi, but have the two of you grown apart in recent years? Is it a question of personality?
We’ve always been very different, but we laugh all the time when we’re with the national squad. It's a shame he’s not in Munich, but it makes seeing him with Germany even more enjoyable. We’ve known each other so long, so we know what makes each other tick – on and off the field. I know exactly how he likes to play – which makes it easier to play against him, actually (laughs).

Both Munich and Cologne love a street festival, Karneval there, the Oktoberfest here – and it starts on Saturday…
I’ve set a target for the Oktoberfest period this year: I want us to come through the two weeks without dropping a single point. We have some tough games, especially the trips to Hoffenheim and Dortmund, but we owe our fans a winning run. I want us to win every game during the Oktoberfest!