Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was presented with the keys to FC Bayern's new team bus on Thursday evening. The 63-year-old subsequently answered questions from media representatives, talking about new signing Alphonso Davies, the current situation and FC Bayern's philosophy in terms of transfers.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on…
…Kingsley Coman: "We've missed a few players, mainly Kingsley Coman, who's been injured since our first match. His injury has been a real setback for us. He's on his way to recovery but I don't know if he'll be able to play on Saturday. I think that should be the case next week at the latest. We'll benefit from him as he'll reintroduce crucial impetus, especially in attack."
…his personal future: "My contract is valid until 31 December 2019. Uli Hoeneß and the other [supervisory] board members have asked me to consider extending my contract. I'll do so in the near future and talk to Uli then."
…on Franck Ribéry: "I can confirm we didn't like what Franck did after the match away to Dortmund either. I think it was due to the emotional situation to some extent because we lost 3-2, somewhat unluckily. Uli, Hasan, the French journalist and Franck talked about it, and Franck has apologised, so the matter is settled, and that's the main thing."
…on the season: "We got off to a very good start to the season. We didn't only win but also played very well. But we have to be self-critical, we've strayed from the winning track a bit since Augsburg. Now's the time the team must return to winning ways, from Saturday onwards. It's up to the team and also the coach to make up for lost ground."
…Alphonso Davies: "He'll play from 1 January at the earliest, that's when the transfer window opens. I met him today, he made a very polite, a very good impression, also in today's training session. He's an option, he's an incredibly quick player. We hope he'll cause a stir in this position. But you mustn't forget he's only 18, he played in the MLS in the United States. We'll have to be patient and not make the mistake of overestimating him at the beginning."
…the Annual General Meeting: "I think it'll be a quiet evening. We've enjoyed incredible success since 2012. You could almost say we've been having a permanent party for six years. We've won the Bundesliga six times in a row, the highlight being the 2013 treble, and we've won the double several times thereafter. It's always gone well in the Champions League too. We shouldn't make the mistake of questioning everything just because our current position in the table doesn't reflect where we'd like to be. We've been in the business long enough to assess these things realistically."
…a potential upheaval in the team: "I think our team is quite decent, even today. You mustn't forget this team clinched the German championship title by a 21-point margin six months ago. The players are just six months older now. I don't see the big problem that's often been discussed in public. New signings have joined us, Goretzka, Renato [Sanches], Serge Gnabry. I don't understand this drama. We must act and we will do so, next summer at the latest. But I know Hasan is working on it at full tilt right now. I'm absolutely confident we'll have a successful team from next summer onwards. I'm completely relaxed."
…high transfer fees: "We at FC Bayern have a certain philosophy. We've always operated on a safe and sound basis, and that won't change in the future. We're very well-resourced financially, we have enough money that we can invest if necessary."
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