FCB looking forward to pre-season

50 days after the DFB Cup triumph against Borussia Dortmund in Berlin FC Bayern officially report back to the Säbener Strasse for pre-season training on Monday. Headed by skipper Philipp Lahm, about half the squad will return to the training ground in the late afternoon when Carlo Ancelotti oversees his first session as FC Bayern head coach.

The Italian will be unveiled at a press conference at the Allianz Arena on Monday morning. FCB broadcast both the conference from 11.00 CET and the first training session under Ancelotti's auspices from 16.30 live in English on YouTube and Facebook.

Ancelotti will have to make do without a total of 11 Euro participants, including new signings Mats Hummels and Renato Sanches. Arturo Vidal, who won the Copa America Centenario with Chile at the end of June, will also miss the session. Arjen Robben and Holger Badstuber, who were sidelined towards the end of last season, will be out on the training ground. Both resumed training last week, working individually on their fitness.

Six friendlies before Supercup clash

A number of junior players will join the pro squad for the first few training sessions. Attacking all-rounder Fabian Benko and centre-back Bernard Mwarome from the reserves will report to the Säbener Strasse, as will midfielder Meritan Shabani, defensive all-rounder Matthias Stingl, left-back Marco Friedl, forward Mario Crnicki and midfielder Adrian Fein from the U-19s.

Ancelotti has about five weeks to prepare his troops for the Supercup final away to Borussia Dortmund on 14 August. With many of the squad arriving at different times, the 57-year-old faces the delicate balancing act of carefully integrating all his players into the squad programme. Bayern contest a total of six friendlies until the final, including three matches on the 11-day “FC Bayern Audi Summer Tour USA 2016” from 25 July to 4 August.