Franck Ribéry shone as a chauffeur on Wednesday evening when he safely ferried Karl-Heinz Rummenigge to the Allianz Arena, where FCB took to the Esplanade for a spectacular event to announce the new platinum partnership with Goodyear. Afterwards the FC Bayern chairman spoke about sporting matters. fcbayern.de rounds up Rummenigge’s most important statements.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on...
...the recent run of success: “I think our team has a quality we've lacked a little in the past, both on and off the pitch. It's fantastic how the players are coping with success. We've had three years where we've won an incredible amount. The players win 3-1 in Schalke, 4-0 over Olympiacos, and you still don't see any signs of euphoria, boastfulness or arrogance. I think it fits well with the club, and it's a reason why the players turn in such great displays week after week.”
...squad planning: “As a general rule we want to keep our players with the right quality. We'll certainly hold talks with the candidates, who I’d prefer not to name. It will take some time, you usually can't complete contract talks within two days. But I'm convinced that nobody we really want to keep will leave Bayern next summer.”
...talks with Pep Guardiola: “I think Pep Guardiola isn’t stalling at all. The media are getting it wrong. We agreed that we'd talk during the Christmas break. It's not too far away. The whole club is relaxed with regard to the conversations that have been going on since the summer. The coach treats it seriously, and we’re treating it seriously. Maybe it's a good thing that all of us face a little pressure. I see no problem. We'll talk, and we'll do it after 19 December.”
...ongoing media speculation: “When Franz Beckenbauer left in 1977 they said it would be the end of the world. But life always goes on. There is no man on earth who cannot be replaced at some point. Players come and go. That holds true for coaches too. I'm completely relaxed, the whole club is relaxed. We've been having our discussion since the summer, and it hasn't caused any trouble. Quite the contrary, it seems to me that everybody's even more eager and more focused on success.”
...the importance of partnerships: “Without our sponsors and partners we couldn't go on with Bayern Munich as we have done in the last few years. That's obvious. But I oppose the idea of 'ever higher, ever further,' because it's not going to work. We can't set one record after another each and every year. What we need now is the DFL's support in TV marketing if the Bundesliga is to compete with the big leagues. We need much more revenue from TV. I hope the DFL succeeds.”
...general expectations: “I refuse to say, 'Bayern have to win the treble every year.' We're 115 years old, and we succeeded once, with the greatest of efforts and the bit of luck you need.”
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