Day 7: FC Bayern back in Munich

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.

Welcome back boys! The FC Bayern Qatar Airways plane landed in snowy Munich around 7pm and Manuel Neuer & Co. had their feet on Bavarian soil again after more than six hours on the flight. The team have a tiring week behind them, the training has been an exertion for everyone but for a small part of the travelling squad it’s been something quite special.

The academy players Meritan Shabani, Joshua Zirkzee, Jonathan Meier and Wooyeong Jeong took part in the winter training camp in Doha for the first time and gained experience at the highest level. “The intensity is much higher in the first team compared to the the youth teams or reserves.” explained Meier, speaking for his young teammates, “the large number of intensive sessions have pushed us all onwards.” For the second half of the season the 19-year-old now hopes he “can get some minutes playing for the first team.” 

Training continues on Saturday

In the morning Niko Kovac summoned his team onto the pitch one last time for a relaxed session. Nothing more than a few laps, stretching and easy exercises were on the schedule for the 20 outfield players in attendance. The goalkeepers completed an individual session in the training centre, as did Thiago and Shabani, who carried out their individual programmes for performance control in the gym.

Only Franck Ribéry was absent after suffering a torn muscle in a training match the previous evening. Arjen Robben and Corentin Tolisso did more work on their comebacks. On Friday the record champions have a day off before training continues on Saturday at midday. Then the men from Munich travel to Düsseldorf, where they have the Telekom Cup on Sunday as a warmup before the second half of the season recommences in Hoffenheim. (18.01.2019, 20:30).