The Bayern stars are in Doha, Qatar from 4 to 10 January, toiling away at the traditional mid-season training camp. Read our daily diary direct from the Aspire Zone Foundation and find out more about the players' activities and impressions.
The FC Bayern players spent their free morning on Monday in very different ways. Robert Lewandowski, Leon Goretzka and Mats Hummels enjoyed the sun on the terrace at the team hotel, Corentin Tolisso worked hard on his rehabilitation, others preferred to spend the time in their rooms and Manuel Neuer used the free morning to watch a Club Bruges training session with goalkeeper coach Toni Tapalovic on a neighbouring pitch. The Belgians are also completing their winter training at the Aspire Zone facility.
However, nobody in Niko Kovac’s team wanted to leave the site. At the half-way point of the training camp the men from Munich know exactly what they have ahead of them – and therefore they’re enjoying a bit of rest. Bayern captain Neuer revealed how best to deal with the exertions: “When you’ve done one or two training camps before, you know what you’ve got to deal with” explained the 32-year-old. The key is to be diligent beforehands. “If you go into the training camp unprepared, it becomes harder and harder to get up in the morning or complete the second session of the day.”
It appears the team took this to heart, as in the evening session everyone except recovering Tolisso and Arjen Robben seemed fully motivated on the pitch. Kovac had his players practising passing with several variations of opposing pressure in the session lasting around one hour 45 minutes. Later on he trained his team in attacking pressing exercises.
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