All About Allianz Arena

Allianz Arena

General information about the Allianz Arena

Opened in 2005, the Allianz Arena, home to both FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860, was designed as a pure football arena. In less than three years to build an architecturally unique arena has emerged. At this point you will get all information about modern stadium in Europe.
Referendum

At the referendum, there was an overwhelming majority of 65.8 percent for the project and only 34.2 percent against. The so-called quorum, which requires at least ten percent of all eligible voters must agree, was fulfilled. The turnout has never amounted to 37.5 percent as high in a referendum held in Bavaria.

Allgemeine Informationen zur Allianz Arena

Die im Jahre 2005 eröffnete Allianz Arena, die Heimstätte der beiden Münchener Vereine FC Bayern und TSV 1860, ist als reine Fußball-Arena konzipiert worden. In nicht einmal drei Jahren Bauzeit ist eine architektonisch einzigartige Arena entstanden. An dieser Stelle erhalten Sie sämtliche Informationen zum modernsten Stadion Europas.
Bürgerentscheid

Beim Bürgerentscheid gab es eine überwältigende Mehrheit von 65,8 Prozent für das Projekt und nur 34,2 Prozent Nein-Stimmen. Auch das sogenannte Quorum, wonach mindestens zehn Prozent aller Wahlberechtigten zustimmen müssen, wurde erfüllt. Die Wahlbeteiligung lag mit 37,5 Prozent so hoch wie noch nie bei einem Bürgerentscheid in Bayern.

Clinical Real End Bayern's Dream

Bayern’s dream of becoming the first team to retain the Champions League was painfully extinguished on Tuesday night as Real Madrid powered to a 4-0 victory in the decisive semi-final second leg, handing the Spaniards the tie 5-0 on aggregate. It was not how the proud Bavarians wanted their 400th match in European competition to end as they were clinically denied a third final appearance in a row by the better team on the night and were forced to relinquish their grip on Europe’s elite club trophy - for this season at least.

Pep Guardiola’s men began brightly enough but the boisterous and passionate 68,000 full house at the Allianz Arena fell eerily silent when Spain hard man Sergio Ramos handed the visitors a two-goal lead with only 20 minutes played. World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo made it three before the break, meaning the Reds needed five second-half goals to progress. It was always a remote prospect and an ultimately futile task against the disciplined and iron-willed visitors, who twisted the knife at the end when Ronaldo slid a last-minute free-kick under the Bayern wall and over the line.

FCB will now conclude their championship-winning campaign with one last highlight, the DFB Cup final against Borussia Dortmund in Berlin on 17 May. The Bavarians are back in action on Saturday afternoon in the penultimate Bundesliga fixture of the season away to crisis club Hamburg.

Bayern Vow to "Give Everything" in Lisbon Quest

Extraordinary matches call for extraordinary measures, according to Pep Guardiola. The Bayern head coach has made a small but significant change to the club’s traditional routine this season: Philipp Lahm and Co are generally allowed to spend the night before matches at the Allianz Arena at home with their families. But prior to the all-or-nothing Champions League semi-final return against Real Madrid on Tuesday (Live in English from 8.45 pm CET on Twitter and FCB.tv Web Radio) Guardiola has reverted to the standard practice at FCB for many long years: following the final pre-match training session on Monday lunchtime, the squad will repair to a hotel and focus on the upcoming challenge as a collective.

The coach wants nothing left to chance, because despite last week’s 1–0 defeat in the Spanish capital, Bayern remain hugely optimistic. “I just have a really good gut feeling,” Arjen Robben told the 120 reporters from all over the world at Monday morning’s press conference. “It’s really simple: we have to attack, play our football and score goals.“ Naturally, the Reds must bear in mind Real’s strength on the break, “but we mustn’t be afraid of it,” the Dutch ace urged.

So how do Bayern intend to prise apart Madrid’s packed defence on this occasion? Pep Guardiola played his cards close to his chest on Monday, but gave at least a hint as to his thinking. “We want to be just as dominant as we were in Madrid!“ The key factors were to be “more effective and more aggressive” and to find the “right balance” between attack and defence.

The coach declined to reveal whether he would alter his team compared to the first leg, potentially bringing back Bayern’s top Champions League scorer Thomas Müller, for example. “I need to sleep on it,” explained the 43-year-old. Thiago, Xherdan Shaqiri, Tom Starke and Holger Badstuber are the only men definitely out of contention for FCB.

Peak performance required

Regardless of the eventual line-up, every player will need to be on peak form according to Guardiola: “If we’re to make the final we’ll need the best possible performance.” A victory by two clear goals would see the Bavarians through to their third Champions League final in a row. A 1–0 home win would send the tie into extra time, but if Real should score, Bayern will need at least three goals to realise the dream of a trip to Lisbon.

“We know we can’t afford mistakes,” confirmed Robben. Real will be confident when they arrive in Munich, “but they’re well aware it’s not over yet.” Team-mate David Alaba, who sat alongside Robben for the press conference at the Arena, feels the Bundesliga champions should trust in their own ability: “We need to play to our strengths, prepare well and give everything.” Jérôme Boateng also feels Bayern should get on the front foot. “As always we’ll try and get forward, but we need to defend better against Real’s fast breaks.“

All eyes in the footballing world will be on Munich this Tuesday to see whether Guardiola’s men can pull it off. An extraordinary 880 media representatives applied for accreditation at the Allianz Arena. Appropriately enough Guardiola answered questions in German, English, Spanish and Italian. Bayern versus Real is as good as it gets in global football at the present time, “and we should enjoy it,” Guardiola concluded.

Plenty of Positives from Real Warm Up

The mood at the Allianz Arena on Saturday afternoon crackled with enthusiasm and excitement. “Stand up for Bayern,” the crowd chanted. The fans on the south and north terraces sang their hearts out, the thousands in the seats clapped their hands. There was no mistaking just how much the supporters and players are looking forward to the Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid - and Bayern’s 5–2 victory over Werder Bremen was a near-perfect way to warm up.

“It was important we came away with a positive feeling, and we’ve definitely done that,” commented captain Philipp Lahm. The champions trailed 2–1 at the break after a patchy first-half performance but a dramatically improved second-half display brought a thrilling turnaround. “We’ve scored five goals, we were always on the move and we had bags of passion. That was good! We need to focus on the positives,” remarked Arjen Robben.

The Dutchman rounded off the scoring with a trademark solo effort less than 40 seconds after coming on as a 74th-minute substitute. Franck Ribéry (20), Claudio Pizarro (53, 57) and Bastian Schweinsteiger (61) had earlier added their names to the scoresheet. Bremen’s half-time lead came courtesy of Theodor Gebre Selassie (10) and Aaron Hunt (36).

The goals against left a bitter taste in the FCB camp. “We wanted to stop their counter-attacks, but yet again we ended up with two against three at the back,” fumed Jérôme Boateng. “We have to work together better in these situations on Tuesday. We weren’t good in the first half.“ Coach Pep Guardiola could only agree, describing the first 45 minutes as “disappointing. But fortunately it was better in the second half.“

Thiago Starts Light Training

Welcome back, Thiago! The Spain international has resumed training four weeks after suffering a partial ligament rupture against 1899 Hoffenheim. Thiago completed two intensive sessions with fitness coach Thomas Wilhelmi at the Säbener Strasse facility on Saturday and Sunday. The plan is to increase intensity levels over the next few days. If all goes well the 23-year-old summer signing may be able to make an appearance in the run-in.

A trip down memory lane

Claudio Pizarro will enjoy a special reunion on Saturday. The Peru international played 159 of his 367 Bundesliga games to date for Werder Bremen, scoring 89 times along the way. In turn, Bremen players Nils Petersen (nine Bundesliga appearances for FCB, two goals) and Mehmet Ekici (70 games for FCB Reserves) both have a Bayern past. And Toni Kroos could end up in a duel with his brother, Werder midfielder Felix.

Rummenigge: Don't be Down-Hearted

At around midnight in Madrid Karl-Heinz Rummenigge officially opened the banquet Bayern traditionally stage after Champions League away matches. The coaching and playing staff, guests of honour and sponsors listened intently to the FCB chairman, who was in bullish mood despite the defeat to Real earlier in the evening. We reproduce Rummenigge’s speech in full:

“Ladies and gentlemen,

This evening we were witnesses to an unbelievably interesting, emotional and very intense Champions League match. Obviously, losing 1–0 isn’t the result we wanted, but I’m far from thinking it can’t be put right. I think Munich will be burning with passion when it comes to the return match next Tuesday. We’ll have 70,000 people getting behind the team.

[applause] 

We’ll all have to support and push the team so that Real Madrid realise: it’ll be hard in Munich! As I’ve said, it wasn’t the result we were looking for. But I believe we can still do it and make it to Lisbon. We must all get behind the team! 

Lads, I have one thing to tell you: I got up out of my seat in the VIP box after the match and my impression was that the Real Madrid bosses weren’t happy. They know what they can expect in Munich on Tuesday. Their trip to Dortmund was still a comfortable prospect by comparison. We’ll show them that Bayern Munich have real quality at home, and it’ll remind them a bit of hell. We and the fans will push you along.

Lads, don’t be down-hearted! A defeat is never good, and we shouldn’t play it down. But a defeat is always as valuable as the way you react - and you’ll show the right reaction next Tuesday! I wish you all a very good evening.”

Proud, Bayern Leave Madrid in Fighting Mood

Three cheers for Thomas Müller, Arjen Robben and Pep Guardiola. The reception at the post-match banquet in Madrid provided a boost for Bayern on the Iberian peninsula. Friends, family, VIP guests and sponsors greeted each and every player, plus the head coach, with a round of applause. That was in spite of a 1-0 defeat in the Champions League semi-final first leg - a result that has roused Bayern’s determination to get the right result in next Tuesday’s return match at the Allianz Arena.

“Obviously, the 1-0 defeat isn’t the result we wanted but I’m a very long way from saying we’re not in a position to put it right,” declared Karl-Heinz Rummenigge when he rose to speak at a minute after midnight. His speech at the banquet was directed straight at the players: “Don’t be down-hearted lads! Defeats are never good, and we shouldn’t play it down. But a defeat is always as valuable as the way you react - and you’ll show the right reaction next Tuesday.”

All to Play for After Narrow Defeat

The Champions League semi-final between Bayern and Real Madrid remains poised on a knife-edge after the Spaniards edged home by the only goal of the game in Wednesday’s first leg. Holders Munich were frustrated for long spells as the Spanish giants opted to shut up shop but the home side’s deadly effectiveness on the break ultimately earned them a precious lead.

The 80,354 capacity crowd at the magnificent Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in the Spanish capital saw Munich dominate the first-half possession but fail to create clear-cut chances, as Real defended in depth and launched sporadic but dangerous forays, Karim Benzema finishing off a trademark counter-attack to hand the home side a 19th-minute lead. Carlo Ancelotti’s team showed much more adventure as the game opened up in the second period, but FCB launched a late onslaught and sub Mario Götze came within an ace of levelling. It was not to be and Pep Guardiola’s men now have a deficit to overturn in next week’s second leg.

The Bavarians are back in action on Saturday afternoon at home to Werder Bremen, before the decisive return against the Spanish giants at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.

Breitner: It'll be another exciting clash

Paul Breitner is a much sought-after man these days. As the first and, alongside Arjen Robben, only player to wear the shirt for both FC Bayern and Real Madrid, the FCB ambassador was in demand with both of the top clubs ahead of the first leg of the Champions League tie.

Breitner moved from Munich to Madrid in 1974 where he made 84 appearances in three years for the Spanish giants. He was in the side that won the Spanish league title twice and the Copa del Rey once – and the current Madrid team lifted the Spanish Cup for the nineteenth time last week. 

Bernabeu Clash Facts and Stats

Real Madrid against Bayern Munich - a regular fixture in the Champions League. On Wednesday night the German and Spanish giants meet for the fifteenth time in Europe’s elite club competition. Only Barcelona and AC Milan have played each other as often. fcbayern.de has delved into the stats and found a number of interesting facts ahead of the first leg of the semi-final tie.

• Bayern have won eight of the previous 14 UCL games against Real with the Madrid side coming out on top five times and the other encounter ending all square.
  
  
• The last clash was at the semi-final stage two years ago. Bayern went through to the final in Munich after a penalty shoot-out at the Bernabéu. FCB won the first leg at the Allianz Arena 2-1 thanks to a late strike by Mario Gomez and then went on to lose the return leg by the same score. Extra time failed to resolve the impasse so it all came down to spot kicks.
  
  
• Bayern and Real Madrid face each other for sixth time in the semi-finals of the Champions League or the European Cup. FCB made it to the final four times (1976, 1987, 2001, 2012) and the Spaniards once (2000). Bayern are in the Champions League semi-finals for the fourth time in the last five years and Real for the fourth time in succession - the Madrilenos were knocked out each time while Bayern went through on all three occasions.
  
  
• Bayern have not won any of their past five matches at the Bernabéu - including the 2010 final against Inter Milan. And: Real Madrid are unbeaten in their previous 17 Champions League outings at home. The last defeat came against Barcelona in the semi-final first leg in 2010/11 (0-2). The Barça coach back then was Pep Guardiola.
  
  
• Bayern have hit the woodwork eight timesin the current Champions League campaign. No other team comes close to that number.
  
  
• Real Madrid have easily the best attack in the Champions League this season with 32 goals to their credit to date. Cristiano Ronaldo has netted 14 times. Real have scored at least two goals in nine out of the last ten games with Borussia Dortmund being the only side to keep a clean sheet when they met in the quarter-final second leg tie. FCB have scored 24 goals so far.
  
  
• The two clubs meet for the twenty-first timein European competitions on Wednesday. FCB have a positive record: Bayern have won 11 of the previous 20 matches, Real have been victorious seven times and the other two games ended in draws. No other club has inflicted as many defeats on Real as FCB.
  
  
• The biggest European home defeat in Real Madrid’s history came against FC Bayern, who ran out 4-2 winners at the Bernabéu in the second round of the 1999/2000 campaign thanks to goals from Scholl, Effenberg, Fink and Sergio.
  
  
• Real Madrid and FC Bayern are the two clubs with the most appearances in Europe’s elite club competition(Champions League plus European Cup). Real have played 357 times, winning 210. FC Bayern have played 272 games in the premier club competition clocking up 151 victories along the way.

Rummenigge sets target

Pep Guardiola lost eight men for the Braunschweig trip, but with three days to go until the clash in Madrid, the injury and absentee situation has begun to improve. There was similarly positive news at Real, who had no league fixture this weekend: Cristiano Ronaldo was sufficiently recovered from a hamstring problem to complete part of the squad training session. But will he play on Wednesday? Karl-Heinz Rummenigge hopes he can: “The semi-final is a huge spectacle and it’ll be watched all over the globe. So we want to see all the best players.“

Regardless of Ronaldo’s presence or absence, the FCB chairman called for a courageous performance at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. “We need to score at least one goal. That’s what we learned from Dortmund’s meetings with Real Madrid,“ commented Rummenigge, “we’re known as la bestia negra [the black beast] down there. We need to show them la bestia negra is back.“

Prolific Pizza Completes The Set

Claudio Pizarro’s goal in Braunschweig means the Peruvian closed a gap in his personal career record: going into Saturday’s match Pizza had scored against 17 of the 18 current Bundesliga clubs, but not against the Lions from Braunschweig. The strike takes Claudio onto 83 goals in the Bundesliga and means he draws level with Paul Breitner in ninth place in Bayern’s all-time top flight scorer roll of honour. In the same ranking for the Bundesliga, the league’s most prolific non-German player lies eighth with 172 goals.

Hardworking Bayern Return to Winning Ways

After a below-par run of three league fixtures without a victory Bayern returned to winning ways in the Bundesliga on Saturday with a hard-working success away to bottom club Eintracht Braunschweig courtesy of second-half goals from Claudio Pizarro and Mario Mandzukic. The merited victory was a boost to morale in the build-up to Wednesday’s Champions League showdown away to Real Madrid.

The 32,325 full house at the Eintracht Stadium saw the relegation strugglers put up a determined and high-energy show of resistance in the first half, effectively neutralising the visitors’ greater quality. But all the running and chasing took its toll and the champions upped the ante after the break, Pizarro finally breaking the deadlock with 15 minutes to play and sub Mandzukic wrapping it up four minutes from time.

The result takes FCB onto 81 points from 31 matches, 17 clear of Dortmund in second. The Bavarians are back in action four days from now in the eagerly-awaited European first leg encounter in the Spanish capital against Cristiano Ronaldo and Co.

Up through the gears

“We’ve done what you would expect: we’ve beaten a second division club and made the final. That’s okay, no more and no less,” ventured Rummenigge. Board director for sport Matthias Sammer said he was “delighted we’re through to the final,” but was not entirely satisfied with what he saw: “We lost concentration on numerous occasions and we have to work on that.” Rummenigge voiced a similar opinion: “We’re capable of criticising our own performance and we know we have to shift up through the gears again.”

A good place to start would be Braunschweig on Saturday. “We always have to give it everything we’ve got,” urged Robben, “we need to keep on improving. You always need 100 percent commitment.” Dante called for the players “to keep our heads up and go for it.” Sammer feels the belief in the dressing room remains intact, “and we have total faith in this team. If we play like we were doing before we wrapped up the Bundesliga title, we’re capable of achieving everything.”

Müller is the main man

Thomas Müller is now the leading goalscorer in the current DFB Cup campaign. He scored from the penalty spot on 50 minutes to put Bayern 3-0 up in the 5-1 semi-final victory over Kaiserslautern on Wednesday night - his seventh cup goal this season. Müller heads the list above Roberto Firmino with six goals for Hoffenheim who have already been knocked out.

Bayern Set Up Cup Final Showdown with BVB

Holders Bayern took another step towards retaining their historic treble on Wednesday night with an ultimately routine DFB Cup semi-final victory over courageous second-division outfit Kaiserslautern, setting up a mid-May showdown in Berlin with chief domestic rivals Borussia Dortmund.

It took until midway through the first half before Bastian Schweinsteiger had the bulk of the 71,000 full house at the Allianz Arena on their feet with the opening goal, but Pep Guardiola’s men pushed on from there and Toni Kroos made the lead comfortable before the break. Thomas Müller increased the advantage from the spot five minutes after the restart, and although Simon Zoller pulled one back on the hour, Mario Mandzukic restored the three-goal margin and sub Mario Götze made it an emphatic victory before the end.

The result sees FCB safely through to the final most observers wanted, a mouth-watering clash with BVB in Berlin on Saturday 17 May, where the Reds aim to seal their 17th domestic knockout title. The Bavarians are next in action on Saturday away to bottom club Braunschweig in the Bundesliga, before the clash of the Champions League Titans against Real in Madrid the following Wednesday.

Raeder for Neuer, three other changes

Guardiola brought in four new faces compared to the previous match, the 3-0 home defeat to Dortmund last Saturday. The one enforced change saw Lukas Raeder replace the injured Manuel Neuer, just as he did at half-time in the BVB clash. Elsewhere, Jerome Boateng, Kroos and Müller took over from Javi Martinez, Götze and Rafinha.

The champions began with Raeder in goal, captain Philipp Lahm, Boateng, Dante and David Alaba in defence, Schweinsteiger and Kroos in central midfield, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery out wide, and Müller in the hole behind centre-forward Mandzukic.

FCK coach Kosta Runjaic was more then realistic about his side’s chances beforehand – ““We’re aware of our inferiority,” said the Vienna-born supremo – but the team that knocked out top-flight Hertha BSC and then Leverkusen away from home in the last eight approached the tenth cup meeting between the clubs determined to give a good account of themselves.

Comfortable half-time lead

After referee Thorsten Kinhöfer whistled the match underway on a fine but chilly evening in Munich, the visitors pressed the Bundesliga champions vigorously and high up the field, with the result that chances were thin on the ground to start with. Müller blazed a shot high and wide of FCK keeper Tobias Sippel’s goal after five minutes, but the first real chance came four minutes later when the visitors’ Florian Dick looped a header onto the top of his own crossbar under pressure from Mandzukic.

The Reds slowly but surely seized the initiative as the first half wore on and took the lead after 23 minutes with a goal that was simplicity in itself: Robben floated a corner to the edge of the six-yard boss where Schweinsteiger thrust past his marker and headed home.

Mandzukic was hustled off the ball as he shaped to shoot following great play from Kroos and Müller, but the second goal was only delayed until the 32nd minute when Kroos threaded a right-footed shot just inside Sippel’s left-hand upright from a Robben lay-off. FCB sat back now and Lautern enjoyed a good spell through to the interval, but Raeder did not have a shot to save in earnest as the sides turned round with the holders well on course for Berlin.

Safely in the bag

The second half started with the lower league side on the attack, but Müller killed off the revival with Bayern’s third from the penalty spot on 50 minutes after the irrepressible Robben was tripped in the box by centre-back Dominique Heintz.

FCB threatened to run riot for a spell but Ribery fired over the bar with the goal gaping following a fine interchange between Robben and Müller. The underdogs commendably stood their ground and were rewarded on the hour when Zoller stole in front of Boateng and flicked a header past Raeder from Dick’s pinpoint cross.

Guardiola sent on Götze for Robben now and the new man soon caused panic in the Lautern area with Müller looking hard done by not to be awarded a penalty of his own. Martinez and Rafinha replaced Schweinsteiger and Alaba for the last 15 minutes, before Munich struck again in the 78th minute when Mandzukic bustled his way down the inside-right channel and arrowed a drive across Sippel and in off the far stick.

The Croat inexplicably missed the target with a close-range header as FCK heads finally went down towards the end, with Götze applying the icing to the cake with a stoppage-time tap-in for the fifth from Ribery’s cunning backheel.

Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley

Bayern Munich v FC Kaiserslautern 5-1 (H-T: 2-0)

Bayern Munich	Raeder - Lahm, Boateng, Dante, Alaba (Rafinha 81) - Schweinsteiger (Martínez 75), Kroos - Robben (Götze 61), T. Müller, Ribéry - Mandzukic
Substitute	Husic, Van Buyten, Hojbjerg, Pizarro
FC Kaiserslautern	Sippel - Dick, Torrejon, Heintz, Löwe (Fortounis 68) - Orban - Matmour, Ring, Jenssen (Idrissou 77), Zimmer - Zoller (Lakic 80)
Substitute	M. Müller, Mockenhaupt, Karl, Dorow
Referee	Thorsten Kinhöfer (Herne)
Viewers	71,000 (capacity)
Goals	1-0 Schweinsteiger (23), 2-0 Kroos (32), 3-0 Müller (50, pen), 3-1 Zoller (60), 4-1 Mandzukic (78), 5-1 Götze (90+1)

Bayern Home Favourites in DFB Cup

Bayern have an almost unblemished record at home in the DFB Cup. FCB have only been knocked out of the cup once in the last 30 home ties – that exit came in a 1-0 defeat against Schalke at the semi-final stage three years ago. The other games have ended in 27 wins and two penalty shoot-out victories. The last time Bayern went out off the cup against a lower league side was ten years ago in a 2-1 quarter-final defeat away to Alemannia Aachen.

Fourth cup meeting in Munich

FCB face Kaiserslautern for the fourth time at home in the DFB Cup (the previous ties were in 1971, 2006 and 2012). Bayern have always gone through and FCK failed to score a single goal in those games. The two sides have played each other nine times in the Cup – FCB have only been knocked out once, in a 2-1 reverse at the Betzenberg stadium in November 1980, over 33 years ago. The most recent cup fixture involving the teams was 18 months ago. FCB coasted to a 4-0 win at the Allianz Arena in October 2012 to progress to the last sixteen. 

Seventeen years since last FCK win in Munich

The Red Devils and their fans last celebrated in Munich after playing Bayern a full 17 years ago, when the Bavarians suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat against the newly-promoted team from the Rhineland Palatinate on the opening day of the 1997/98 Bundesliga campaign. The last loss in a competitive match against Kaiserslautern was in August 2010 (a 2-0 defeat at the Betzenberg in the Bundesliga). FCB have won all of the last ten games against FCK.

Bayern Start Build-Up to DFB Pokal Semi Final

The Bayern pros had just 40 hours to get over the Bundesliga home defeat against Borussia Dortmund. “The weekend is for recovery and regeneration. We need to learn a lesson or two from the game and address a couple of issues,” declared sporting director Matthias Sammer on Saturday night after the final whistle at the Allianz Arena.

No sooner said than done. The first team squad returned to the Säbener Strasse training ground at 4 pm on Monday afternoon to start preparing for the next match. FCB entertain second division FC Kaiserslautern in the DFB Cup semi-finals on Wednesday night. And the holders are focused on getting a result in the cup tie: “We want to go to Berlin,” said Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Pep Guardiola welcomed most of his squad to the first training session of the week with the exception of the sidelined Thiago, Xherdan Shaqiri, Holger Badstuber and Tom Starke. With two days to go before the cup showdown, the Spaniard set to work on building up his players' concentration and desire, seeking to make sure they do not lose sight of the target. “I've got to find solutions. It's risky for the Kaiserslautern game too,” said Guardiola taking himself to task after the defeat against Dortmund.

“It will be important for us not to underestimate the opposition. They showed what damage they can do against a Bundesliga team at Leverkusen,” said Rummenigge, sounding a warning about the side from the Rhineland Palatinate who secured a surprise 1-0 win away to Bayer Leverkusen at the quarter-final stage. “It's a final for us,” added Sammer ahead of the DFB Cup clash with the second division outfit. “The lads know exactly not to follow Leverkusen's example. We need to produce a better performance than we did against Dortmund.”

“We know the scale of the challenge we face at home to Kaiserslautern if we want to make it to the final in Berlin. That's crucial,” said Manuel Neuer. The keeper, who went off at half-time with a calf problem on Saturday, trained as normal on Monday. Neuer should definitely be between the sticks on Wednesday.

Bayern Sign Sebastian Rode from Frankfurt

FC Bayern have completed the signing of 23-year-old midfielder Sebastian Rode from Eintracht Frankfurt. The defensive specialist put his name to a four-year contract in Munich and will join his new club on 1 July 2014.

“I’m delighted the transfer has gone through,” commented the Germany U-21 international. “FC Bayern is the next big step for me. I want to continue developing as a player in Munich and win lots of trophies with my future team-mates.“

“Sebastian Rode is an excellent professional, embodying the highest levels of professionalism and dynamism,” commented FC Bayern board director for sport Matthias Sammer. “I’m certain he’ll bring momentum and flair to our team as we tackle our future challenges.”

Back to the real Bayern

The task for now is to swiftly analyse and move on from the Dortmund match and focus completely on the cup clash with second division Kaiserslautern. “We need to learn our lessons and talk a few things over. We get back to work on Monday with our focus on the future,” said Sammer, “we want to see the real Bayern Munich again. We need much better performances than today’s.“ If so, the champions will be confident of booking a place in the cup final on 17 May in Berlin.

Fantastic Semi Final

If Bayern are to make the Champions League final this season they must overcome Real Madrid in the last four for the second time in three years. “All Bayern and Real fans can justifiably look forward to this clash,” said FCB chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, “we have a huge chance to make history by retaining the title and we believe we can do it.” fcbayern.desummarises the reaction to Friday’s semi-final draw.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: “All Bayern and Real fans can justifiably look forward to this clash. Pep will certainly be delighted. We’re playing one of the best clubs in the world and their fantastic team. Both games will be tough but attractive, I can confidently say that in advance. Real aren’t kind of team to sit back and defend. We respect Real, but we have a huge chance to make history by retaining the title and we believe we can do it.”

Matthias Sammer: “What a fantastic semi-final, a meeting of two huge clubs with great traditions. We can expect two festivals of football. Bayern versus Real is the best European football has to offer at the present time. Naturally, we want to prevail and make the final.”

Philipp Lahm: “It’s a meeting between two massive teams and would have been a worthy final. I think we have a 50-50 chance. But there can only be one target when you’re in the last four of the Champions League, to reach the final! We’ll go for it with everything we’ve got.”

Franck Ribéry: “It’s a tough draw, a meeting between two of the best attacking teams in the world. We’re in for two magnificent matches and I really hope we make the final.”

Manuel Neuer: “I’m looking forward to going back to the Bernabeu. I have lots of positive memories of the stadium. The semi-final return two years ago when we went through on penalties was unbelievable. I’m also intrigued about the atmosphere in Madrid when we go there, because both Atletico and Real play their first legs at home. The city will be packed with fans of all four semi-finalists on Tuesday and Wednesday so it’ll definitely be a massive festival.”

Thomas Müller: “What a great draw! I’m looking forward to two cracking games with lots of world-class players!”

Javi Martínez: “Real are the strongest of the teams we could have drawn. It’ll be tough but I believe in our team. I lost to Real several times with Bilbao but I’m hoping to turn that around with Bayern.”

Emilio Butragueño (Real Madrid director):“Bayern are strong with plenty of great players. It’ll be tough especially with the return being in Munich. That could give Bayern a slight edge. Both games will be tight. But it’s a fantastic clash, one of the best imaginable.”

Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid coach): “It’s good we face tough opponents. We’ll do everything we can to win. Pep Guardiola is one of the best coaches in the world, and a knockout tie between the clubs will be tough for both teams. We’re extremely motivated, we’re still chasing three trophies and we’re really looking forward to it.”

Bayern Fired Up for Dortmund

Wednesday evening’s Manchester United clash took its toll in terms of mental and physical energy, so it was good that Pep Guardiola gave his team the morning off following their success in reaching the Champions League semi-finals. The players came in to the Säbener Strasse facility in the course of the afternoon, some for treatment from the physios, others for a shakedown by way of regeneration, and a third group including Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martínez for an intense workout on the training ground, keeping a good-sized crowd happy and entertained.

The Champions League quarter-finals are history, but the next footballing treats are already on the horizon. The draw for the semi-finals in Europe’s elite club competition takes place in Nyon on Friday. And on Saturday, the Bundesliga’s second-placed club Borussia Dortmund visit the champions in the league. “Obviously we want to win, no question about it. And we’re looking forward to it,” Matthias Sammer informed FCB.tv on Thursday, “we have to keep our rhythm.”

“There’s a lot of prestige attached to the fixture,” added Thomas Müller. Philipp Lahm said: “It’s an absolutely massive match because it’s a meeting between two top teams who’ve always staged fantastic clashes in the past.“ Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is just as much looking forward to a game “with an edge. We should see plenty of action on the pitch.“

However, continued the chairman, no-one should forget that when it comes to Bayern and the Bundesliga, “it’s all over. We’re champions, regardless of the outcome on Saturday.” Just four days prior to the crucial DFB Cup semi-final at home to FC Kaiserslautern, that fact could play into Bayern’s hands, Toni Kroos thinks: “We can be relatively relaxed and play our football because we’re under no pressure.”