Sammer: I feel at home here

Anyone looking in at the FC Bayern media centre at the Säbener Strasse on Wednesday could see that something was afoot: around 50 journalists were there, all the seats were taken and the stage was set. At one o’clock on the dot, Karl Hopfner, club president and chairman of the supervisory board, announced the extension of sporting director Matthias Sammer’s contract to 2018. “When all nine members of the supervisory board say yes that is a clear vote of confidence,” revealed Hopfner as he spoke about “fair and friendly” negotiations. Then it was time for Sammer to speak. fcbayern.de reports the key points from the press conference.

…his contract extension:
“I’d like to thank everybody; the negotiations were completely straightforward. The last two and a half years have been intense but also successful and enjoyable. I feel really good at Bayern. It’s a great honour to be able to carry on serving this club and I’ll continue to do it in my usual quiet and reserved way (he laughs). I’ve got to know and appreciate this club. I feel at home here.”

…targets:
“We need to consolidate our success. That’s based on our day-to-day work. We all have to pull together. I don’t know if we can maintain our average number of title wins but we’re still incredibly hungry.”

…Philipp Lahm’s injury:
“Obviously, I was shocked when I first heard about it because Philipp has a huge influence on this team as captain. We wish Philipp all the best and we’re crossing our fingers. But now’s not the time for sadness and sentimentality. We need to get a grip and look forwards. We’ve got a big enough squad. Players who haven’t had much time on the pitch may well get a chance to show what they can do. We’ve got enough players in the squad. There’s enough ability and quality to maintain our standards.”

…Bastian Schweinsteiger’s comeback:
“He’s doing well and he’s coped very, very well with everything. I think he’s in a good position physically and mentally. Now the coach will speak to Basti, because of his huge experience, about deciding when he’s ready. I’ve got the feeling it won’t be long.”

…the fitness of Müller, Neuer and Boateng:
“I’ve not heard anything negative. I hope it’s not so bad for Thomas. And it was just short-term with Manu and Jérôme. I hope both of them will be available for the Hoffenheim game on Saturday.”

…Pep Guardiola:
“He’s a genius of a coach and a bit crazy in a positive way. All I can say is it’s great fun pursuing our targets alongside him. It’s a pleasure working with him.”

…the youth set-up:
“The junior team [youth section] has not received enough attention over the past couple of years and that includes from me. I’ve got a brilliant relationship with Michael Tarnat and Wolfgang Dremmler. We now have a weekly meeting with all the youth coaches. We’re in the process of implementing our playing philosophy. I believe we’re on the right track over the medium term. But we have to be patient.”