Martín Demichelis: 'FC Bayern shaped me as a player, a coach and a person'

Martín Demichelis joined FC Bayern from River Plate in 2003 and went on to become an immensely important defender in Munich. While with the record champions, his coaches included Ottmar Hitzfeld, Felix Magath and Louis van Gaal; he won four doubles and narrowly missed out on the treble in the 2010 Champions League final. In 2019, he began his coaching career at the FCB U19s, before going on to lead the FC Bayern reserves. In 2022, he returned to River Plate as head coach and won the Argentine league title at the first time of asking. Since the start of the season, “Micho” has been in the dugout at RB Leipzig – who face FC Bayern in the Bundesliga's standout fixture at 18:30 CET at the Allianz Arena on Saturday evening.

Martín Demichelis – The interview

Micho, you’re returning to the Allianz Arena for a competitive match for the first time – what will you be feeling when you take your place in the RB Leipzig dugout as coach?
“I lived in Munich for many years and represented FC Bayern both as a player and a coach. Returning to the Allianz Arena now with RB Leipzig is something special for me. I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces again, and above all to the match itself. Because, whilst I have the utmost respect for FC Bayern, I naturally want RB Leipzig to come out on top on Saturday.”

When you left Munich, you described FC Bayern as your ‘second home’. How special is it to play against a club that had such a profound influence on you?
“I'll never forget the trust that FC Bayern placed in me back then when they signed me in 2003. FC Bayern shaped me over a total of 12 years as a player and later as a coach – and as a person too. It was always my dream to be a coach in the Bundesliga. I'm very proud that I'm now able to fulfil this dream at a top club like RB Leipzig.”

After a difficult start to the season, you’ve recently thrashed Frankfurt and beaten PSV with Leipzig. What has changed within the team – and how sustainable is this resurgence?
“We spoke openly and used specific examples to show what had worked well and what we needed to change. Everyone understood what we were getting at. We want to build on that, continue to develop and keep on being successful – in the Bundesliga, the Champions League and the DFB Cup.”

You’ve played for FC Bayern in Munich and are famiiar with the special atmosphere of the stadium and the Bayern fans. What will your players need to do on Saturday to have a chance there?
”We must remain true to our own principles. From the first matchday to the last, we want to embody what sets RB Leipzig apart – including thi Saturday. That means we'll try to deliver the best possible performance using the methods we believe to be the best.”

We’ve taken a closer look at upcoming opponents RB Leipzig: