On the final day of the Audi Summer Tour, FC Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge addressed a press conference at the team hotel in Guangzhou and spoke about a wide range of topics. fcbayern.de listened in.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on...
…the China tour: “I think we can be very, very pleased. It’s been a complete success. We’ve hit all the targets we set ourselves. All credit to Jörg Wacker and his team. All the Bayern representatives here have been very professional. I want to thank the team too, they’ve been magnificent. There was no moaning or griping.”
…the sporting value of the tour: “We’ve had to steer a difficult course but it’s been very successful. The team has turned in very good performances. We can be optimistic about the new season. We’re in good shape but there are no guarantees.”
…Thomas Müller: “You can’t put a price on certain players. We’d be out of our minds to let a player like him leave. It’s all hot air, there’s nothing to it! Bastian Schweinsteiger gave great service to the club and the fans christened him Fußballgott (football god) - Thomas Müller might be given that name now. He could grow into the role.”
…Mario Götze: “I have the impression he wants to stay here and will. If I was his agent, I’d advise him to stay at Bayern and go flat out. He has the potential and the talent to establish himself here over the long term. It’s important he takes on the battle for places.”
…new signing Douglas Costa: “He’s very quick, a good dribbler and a good new option for us. Hopefully we’ll really enjoy having him as our player.”
…possible further transfers: “It’s too early to slam the door and say: that’s it. We’ll wait and see, and hopefully make smart decisions. Our task is to assemble a team capable of successful and attractive football. FC Bayern fundamentally decides on transfers, but we’ve never brought in a player against the coach’s will, because at the end of the day the coach has to send them out onto the field.”
…plans for the future with Pep Guardiola: “We’re very happy with Pep, who’s doing a good job. He’s a good representative – even here in China every kid on the street knows who he is. I’m relatively relaxed. If he wants to stay on that’s wonderful, but if he doesn’t it won’t be the end of the world. In that case we’ll think of something new.”
…the new Bundesliga season: “I’m pretty sure Borussia Dortmund will be back up near the top again. Bayern can’t be the only locomotive, we need comrades-in-arms, and Dortmund are good ones. I like rivalry. Football is about emotions. I’m not unhappy with other clubs getting close to us.”
…the squad: “All our Spanish players fit in well. They’ve all given us a little more quality and they’re good lads in terms of character. There’s a bogus debate about this taking place in the media at the moment. However, we have to point the finger at ourselves and accept we’ve not brought many players through from the youth section in recent years, although it’s improving again – I’m thinking of young Benko, Hojbjerg or Kimmich.”
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