Beckenbauer Named FC Bayern Brand Ambassador

Franz Beckenbauer has been associated with Bayern since 1959, so he was unsurprisingly at ease on Wednesday as he mounted the media centre steps and took a seat on the podium alongside Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Jörg Wacker. The Kaiser is a former player, head coach, supervisory board chairman and president of the club and bears the title of honorary president. Beckenbauer has now taken on another function with Bayern as the club’s international brand ambassador, spearheading FCB’s drive to significantly expand its North American operations.

The club icon will head the Munich delegation to the Audi Summer Tour USA 2014, facilitating networking efforts and meeting potential sponsors. “Our objective is to increase awareness of the Bayern Munich brand name around the world. Furthermore, we naturally wish to gain a financial benefit from this step,” club chairman Rummenigge told the midweek press conference.

Bayern aim to grow turnover in the US market especially in the merchandising sector. Beckenbauer, who played for New York Cosmos at one time, will assist in the effort. “He is comfortably the best-known face the club has ever had. This is a man enjoying the highest reputation in the world of football,” continued Rummenigge. Board director for internationalisation and strategy Wacker commented: “Franz is an outstandingly appealing figure with an exceptional network which we want to use for ourselves going forward.”

'Leaving the first footprint'

Beckenbauer barely hesitated when Rummenigge and Wacker approached him with the new concept. “When FC Bayern calls…” stated Beckenbauer: it was impossible for him to say no. “We can go a long way over there. It’s high time we were properly active. Pack ma’s an – let’s go for it!“ the 68-year-old declared.

The schedule for the Audi Summer Tour USA includes two friendly matches involving the senior team, initially in New Jersey against Mexico’s most successful club Deportivo Guadalajara (1 August / 2 am CET) and then in Portland against the Major League Soccer All-Stars (7 August / 3.30 am CET). All the club’s current internationals should be involved in the second game, with the last of the group scheduled to fly in at the end of their vacation on 5 August. “The goal of the tour is to strengthen the FC Bayern brand positioning around the globe,” Wacker announced.

The intention this summer is to leave “a first footprint in the USA.” Following this, Rummenigge said there would be an “ongoing exchange. We don’t just want to go there for a week, make good money and then spend 51 weeks doing nothing.” Apart from star names such as Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Beckenbauer, youth teams, the basketball and the women’s team will also fly the flag for Bayern in the USA in the future.

Claudio Pizarro Extends Stay Until 2015

Munich, 27 May 2014: FC Bayern and Claudio Pizarro (35) have agreed a one-year extension to the player’s current contract, which was set to expire on 30 June 2014.

“This season, Claudio again demonstrated his goalscoring ability and showed how important he is to the team. We’re extremely pleased we’ll still be able to count on him and benefit from his efforts,” commented FC Bayern München AG chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

“I’m very proud that I’ll still be playing for FC Bayern for another year. There’s no better club in the world in my opinion,” commented Pizarro, who is now looking forward to his ninth season with Germany’s biggest club: “This is an unbelievable group of players, we really enjoy it together – and we intend to go for it again next season.”

Rummenigge: We go back to Square One

Bayern have completed another successful campaign, culminating in the domestic double triumph last week. “I think we can look back on an excellent rather than just satisfactory season,” Karl-Heinz Rummenigge summarises in the second part of a major fcbayern.de interview. The club chairman reviews the campaign and draws the necessary conclusions, before casting a first glance ahead to 2014/15. In the third and final part of the interview, to appear on Tuesday, the former world-class striker offers his views on Pep Guardiola and the World Cup in Brazil.

Interview with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, part 2:

fcbayern.de: Mr Rummenigge, before the start of the season you definitely had one or two doubts about the ability of the team to remain hungry after winning the treble. And this campaign has ended with FCB winning the double...
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: I think we can look back on an excellent rather than just satisfactory season. You’d expect the season following a treble to be very difficult. You're slightly short in terms of motivation, commitment and determination. But it was quite the opposite for us last term as there was no dip in performance levels.

How much is that down to Pep Guardiola?
The players, and the coaching staff in particular, have been brilliant. Pep set out a new approach. He has demanded more of the players, supported them and changed the way we play quite a bit. It's thanks to him that we avoided a dip in form.

What was your highlight of the season?
Beating Dortmund in the Cup. When you win the league title after 27 games and then have to wait another seven weeks before you get the trophy you can't get quite as excited. But it felt fantastic after such an exciting final with extra time as well. A wonderful moment.

A lot has been said about goal-line technology since the cup final. FC Bayern have put in another application to have it introduced. Do you think the required two-thirds of the Bundesliga clubs will vote in favour?
I'm not happy that the vote won't be held before December. You need to strike while the iron's hot. And it's hot now! It's very important for the management of the DFL to persuade clubs currently against goal-line technology that it's the right way forward. Mr Rauball spoke in support of goal-line technology in an interview on Monday. As the chairman of the DFL it's up to him to take the lead. That would be an important statement within and beyond the league management body. We're talking about annual costs in the region of €160,000 per club. Given the amount of money in the game, it should be worth it to provide more certainty.

The 4-0 defeat at home to Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final was a big disappointment. Do you still think about that night a lot?
It's not forgotten, particularly as far as Pep is concerned. We paid the price that night for taking our foot off the gas in the league. But the defeat taught us a lesson or two. I think it's incredible and admirable the way Pep stood up immediately and took full responsibility for the result. That's not a given in modern football.

Which players have impressed you most this season?
The whole squad has done brilliantly. Several players have been outstanding. Arjen has had a sensational season, simply world-class. Philipp was impressive again, Manu an absolute safe pair of hands in goal. But there are a couple of players who need to up their performances a bit next season.

There will be a huge wave of expectation ahead of the new campaign after two title-winning seasons.
I don't have any problems coping with pressure. The club has worked hard to get that level of expectation. The team has always managed to come up with the goods over the past two years.

How much will the World Cup affect the new campaign?
The World Cup squeezes the last drop of energy from the players after they've had a hard season here. They'll go to the pain barrier and beyond in Brazil. But we can't afford to say: Let's take a year off now. The players will get enough time to recover. And new players will come in to add excitement and competition to the squad. It's back to square one on 1 July. Then we'll get stuck in again.

Matthias Sammer Summarize this Season

The domestic season is over and the final trophy is safely in the bag. It is the perfect time for a review and analysis, and who better to perform the task than Matthias Sammer. fcbayern.de publishes extracts of an online interview with the board director for sport:

What does the double triumph tell us about the team’s character?
Sammer: “The faith earned by the team and Pep with the early championship triumph has been totally repaid. Our expectations have been fulfilled. I don’t know if it was the best trophy in the last two seasons, but it was without doubt the most difficult. The team recognized we’d only achieve our goals if we all pulled together, and maintained our sporting stability and compactness. We lacked that over the last few weeks and it seemed we had to work through more problems than our opponents before the cup final. You might have logically assumed the winners would be Dortmund and not Bayern. And that’s what makes it such a special double.“

How would you now evaluate the 2013/14 season?
Sammer: “It’s been an outstanding campaign. After the Champions League final in 2012 questions were asked of everything: the club, the players, the coach. Bayern hadn’t won a trophy for two years – and now we’ve collected eight in the last two seasons. That’s been earned by the team, thanks to their character. We followed an extreme depression with the huge success of the treble, and then we undertook fundamental change with Pep. But we’ve remained successful. That’s simply outstanding.“

Did you honestly believe the players would still be as hungry after the treble-winning season?
Sammer: “I’d hoped that’s how it would be. I noticed early on that all Pep’s vision and adjustments were an ideal engine, but that an engine needs oil. I think we made a good double act when I occasionally gave the team a bit of a push, even if not everyone realised why.”

How big is Pep Guardiola’s contribution to the double?
Sammer: “Pep has done extremely hard work. Apart from settling in personally, he’s managed to embed his own ideas despite the club’s rich history. That made him authentic from the start. He was aware that the line-up, tactics and system were naturally his sole responsibility, but that his decisions would always have an impact on the club. He had to earn a huge amount of trust without ever once being egotistical. We’ve succeeded in this respect – and that’s an important message as we formulate our squad plans.“

What do you mean by that?
Sammer: “Bayern will always assemble the squad together with the coach. As a club, we can’t make ourselves totally dependent on a coach, so the relationship has to be based on trust. We’ve managed that thanks to Pep’s terrific personality. He was never stubborn or unyielding, but always strove for consensus. He invests all his energy in the club, but he respects the club for what it is with all its tradition. You sense it in every situation.“

Rummenigge: He's our player, and He's staying !

The players are on holiday or preparing for the World Cup, and the Säbener Strasse facility is all but empty – but the second floor above the ServiceCenter is a hive of activity, as the Bayern board and coaching staff are busy assembling the squad for the new campaign. In part one of a majorfcbayern.de interview, chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge revealed a few early results from the crucial planning meetings. The two remaining parts of the interview will appear on Sunday and Tuesday next week.

Interview with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, part 1:

fcbayern.de: You, Jan-Christian Dreesen, Matthias Sammer and Pep Guardiola have spent this week working on next season’s squad. What news do you have for the fans?
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: We fundamentally have a very good team, nor is the squad particularly old. None of our players is due for retirement. We can be very relaxed and calm as we survey the future. But we’re still watching the transfer market very closely. Fortunately our finances are extremely solid and we have no problem with Financial Fair Play. There won’t be any serious activity in the transfer market until the World Cup gets going. Relatively little will happen before then.

But would you say there are likely to be additions to the confirmed new arrivals, Robert Lewandowski and Sebastian Rode?

We’re talking about what else we need to do. The coach’s opinion is very important. There’s a lot of speculation in the media, but we won’t be knocked off course. Let’s wait and see.

Is there any news of Claudio Pizarro and Daniel van Buyten? Both are shortly out of contract.
Talks are ongoing, and I believe we’ll have results very soon.

What’s the situation with Toni Kroos?
As I’ve always said, our aim is to agree a contract extension, and that still applies. If we can’t, we’ll have to think about other options.

And how about Mario Mandzukic?
I regret what’s happened, because he’s made his contribution to our success. But every player has to know his place and accept the coach’s decisions in a disciplined way.

Youngster Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was the surprise hit of the cup final. Is the club thinking of sending him out on loan?
No, quite the opposite! Pierre is hugely talented and the coach is delighted with him. I basically support loan spells for younger players if they’re unlikely to break though at Bayern in the first instance. But Pierre has come on wonderfully well, he’s incredibly mature for an 18-year-old and he’s just played his way into the team. He’s a Bayern player and he’s staying here!

How pleased are you about Holger Badstuber’s imminent comeback?
Very pleased! Holger is a great person who’s been through an incredibly tough period. He’s coped amazingly well. Two cruciate operations, two long spells of rehab – not everyone would have managed that. Respect! He’s continuing his training and things are looking good for him. His knee is fine again and he’s moving well. We’d all like him to become an important factor in the team again soon.

How are things looking for Thiago?
His operation went very well. We hope he has a good recovery and is available again very soon.

What are you hoping for from Robert Lewandowski?
Robert is a world-class striker, and Bayern fans everywhere can look forward to seeing him play for us. He scored lots of goals for Borussia Dortmund. He gets through a great deal of work for the team and he uses his physique to optimal effect, even though he’s not actually that big. And I’ve also heard he’s a model pro.

And Sebastian Rode?
They played him in the holding role or central midfield in Frankfurt, but our coaches think he’d do well at full-back. I can imagine him being good for a surprise. He reminds me a bit of Jens Jeremies: he’s aggressive and a tireless runner, always determined, always up for it, always hurting his opponents.

All clear: For Lahm and Neuer

Attacks of cramp were not the only physical problems suffered by Bayern players in the DFB Cup final, as Philipp Lahm and Manuel Neuer both came away from the hard-fought and intense clash against Borussia Dortmund with injuries. The Germany internationals reported to Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt on Monday for medical examinations, after which the FCB Chief Medical Officer sounded the all-clear: both Lahm and Neuer will be fit to contest the World Cup in Brazil.

Lahm has a bruised left ankle after taking a blow to the joint during the match. Neither the ligaments nor the bones are damaged. The FCB and Germany captain will be off training for the next five to seven days.

Neuer has sustained minor damage to the ligaments in his right shoulder. The keeper will initially wear his arm in a sling to relieve the joint and must also take it easy in training.

Both Lahm and Neuer will travel with the Germany squad to their 11-day training camp in Passeiertal, South Tyrol, on Wednesday. They will receive treatment several times a day before recommencing training depending on the speed of their recoveries.

We're Still Making History

After a 120-minute clash bristling with tension and near-misses, it was Bayern who hoisted the DFB Cup into the Berlin night sky. “Emotions ran high and it was a very tight match. We’re proud about winning the double,” said Karl-Heinz Rummenigge after the 2-0 extra-time victory over Dortmund. Berlin native Jérôme Boateng said: “We’ll party tonight like here’s no tomorrow. We’re totally overjoyed.“

Cup final reaction

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: “We’re obviously delighted. Emotions ran high and it was a very tight match. We’re proud about winning the double. We’ll start a massive party now. The coach’s decisions were spot on today. I’ve always said he’s a fantastic coach and we’re really happy he’s at Bayern.“

Matthias Sammer: “It’s been an outstanding season. You could see we’re both flexible and stable. Arjen is a model professional, who went through the lows with us in 2012. We can’t praise him too highly.“

Pep Guardiola: “It was already a good season when we won the championship. That was always the most important title. We’re very happy we’ve made it today. Congratulations to my players!“

Philipp Lahm: “It’s fantastic we’ve won the double as a team today. What more can you ask for? Today, we’ve again shown with a different formation that we’re capable of very, very good football. All credit to the team!“

Arjen Robben: “We were determined to win, as everyone could see. Huge credit to the team! Everyone had written us off to a certain extent. But we’re here, we’ve won it, it’s another double and it’s been a superb season. We’ve won the cup, we’re the champions, we’ve set lots of records, and we made the Champions League semi-finals – that’s not bad at all!“

Franck Ribéry: “It’s a very, very important victory for everyone at Bayern, for the team and for the fans. We’ve done very well this season, and worked very hard. I was injured for ten days and couldn’t train much. But I’m there for the team.“

Toni Kroos: “I think it was a fully deserved win and we played very well. We can celebrate properly now. I think everyone saw we were the better team.“

Javi Martinez: “Two trophies in one season is outstanding. Three titles last year and two this – we’re still making history.“

Jérôme Boateng: “We’ll party tonight like here’s no tomorrow. That was our last match and we’ve won the double. We’re totally overjoyed. Credit to Dortmund for making our lives difficult. But at the end of the day I think we deserved it.“

Jürgen Klopp (BVB coach): “It’s a painful defeat because it’s a big competition. Both teams pushed each other to the limit today. We had a good goal disallowed and that was a shame. We were going well at that stage. But it’s been an exceptional season for us.“

Roman Weidenfeller (BVB captain):“Everyone’s very disappointed. We deserved more from the match, but it wasn’t to be. As usual, the little things were what decided a match like that.“

Doublefieber !!!

Bayern finished the 2013/14 campaign as the undisputed best team in Germany after defeating closest rivals Borussia Dortmund in Saturday’s DFB Cup final in Berlin, sealing the domestic league and cup double for the tenth time in their history. Arjen Robben, the player whose goal settled the Champions League final at Wembley last year, was the hero of Munich’s 17th DFB Cup success with the 107th-minute winner, Thomas Müller adding the icing on the cake at the end after a tight and intense encounter that went to extra-time following an evenly-matched encounter.

The 76,197 full house at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin saw Munich dominate possession and look the likelier to score before half-time, although the cagey first period was all but devoid of clear-cut chances. The action hotted up after the break with near-misses at both ends, but neither side conjured up a goal in normal time and the game went into an extra 30 minutes. Despite increasing weariness after the long and tough season FCB kept up the fight and were rewarded when Robben broke the deadlock, before Müller sealed a hard-earned victory in time added on at the end.

Four new faces

Boss Pep Guardiola had a team selection surprise up his sleeve for the showdown in the capital, as he chose to replace injured left-back David Alaba (sprained stomach muscle) with 18-year-old Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg, a two-time starter in the league in the second half of the season. Otherwise, Jerome Boateng, Philipp Lahm and Mario Götze came into the side in place of Mario Mandzukic, Bastian Schweinsteiger (knee) and Daniel van Buyten, who started on the bench.

The somewhat unfamiliar final line-up of the season comprised Manuel Neuer in goal, Hojbjerg, Dante, Boateng and Rafinha in defence, Javi Martinez and captain Lahm in twin holding roles, Thomas Müller and Toni Kroos in central midfield, and Robben alongside ex-Dortmund man Götze.

Few chances in first period

Few chances in first period

With the crowd at fever pitch following the warm-up programme, Bayern were soon on the front foot after referee Florian Meyer whistled the final underway on a rainy night in the German capital. The nimble Robben set up Müller and the Dutchman himself fired goalwards in the first six minutes, but BVB keeper Roman Weidenfeller saved both efforts, the first unwittingly with his head and the second in more conventional fashion.

FCB still saw the lion’s share of possession but Jürgen Klopp’s men settled as time went on and the game became a dour midfield struggle at times. There was a blow for the Bavarians and potentially for Germany too when Lahm was forced out of the action with just half an hour played, the captain hobbling off in obvious discomfort following a heavy challenge from BVB defender Sokratis. Franck Ribery entered the fray in place of the skipper with Kroos stepping back to a more defensive role.

Weidenfeller just outpaced Robben as the Dutchman chased down a risky Kevin Großkreutz back-pass, but chances were thin on the ground until FCB upped the tempo with half-time approaching. Robben had a decent shout for a penalty waved aside after a heavy challenge in the box by Lukas Piszczek, before Kroos hit the wall with a free-kick and Hojbjerg fired wide, but the last chance of the half fell at the other end when Lewandowski hooked a half-volley well over Neuer’s bar.

Goalless second period

The cagey stalemate continued in the early exchanges after the restart until Müller flicked a shot against Weidenfeller from Ribery’s cross, sparking a period of greater invention from both sides. Dante hooked a Mats Hummels effort off the line on 64 minutes, although the former FCB youth looked suspiciously offside as he headed towards goal, before Hojbjerg missed his kick from a promising position.

The action swung from end to end, Neuer saving well from BVB sub Oliver Kirch and Weidenfeller throwing out a hand to deny Robben after Götze’s perceptive through ball, but for all the effort invested by both teams in a rousing final ten minutes the game remained deadlocked until the end of the regulation 90 minutes.

Robben the extra-time hero

Dortmund sub Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang whipped a shot just past Neuer’s left-hand upright from a Marco Reus lay-off as the first chance of extra-time fell to Borussia, but Bayern were showing great resilience, exemplified by both Neuer and Kroos shaking off injuries and refusing substitution despite obvious discomfort. But the cramp was too much for young Hojbjerg who gave way to veteran Daniel van Buyten with 102 minutes on the clock. Müller and Großkreutz each had a sight of goal but there were no further chances before the end of the first half of extra-time.

But Robben was always the man who seemed most likely to break the deadlock, testing Weidenfeller with a decent effort before converting Boateng’s excellent 107th-minute cross after the defender brilliantly anticipated a throw from the Dortmund keeper.

The Dutchman was on fire now against a tiring BVB side and cracked a shot off the post as Bayern went for the jugular, and although the winger saw his breakaway effort stopped by Weidenfeller, Boateng heroically deflected a late Reus effort away for a corner as the men from Munich clung on. The final flourish came in stoppage time when sub Claudio Pizarro released Müller for a run at Weidenfeller, the striker skipping round the keeper to settle it once and for all.

Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley

Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich 0-2 (aet H-T: 0-0, F-T: 0-0)

Borussia Dortmund	Weidenfeller - Piszczek, Sokratis, Hummels, Schmelzer - Jojic (Aubameyang 83), Sahin - Mkhitaryan (Kirch 60), Reus, Großkreutz (Hofmann 110) - Lewandowski
Substitute	Alomerovic, Durm, Friedrich, Kehl
Bayern Munich	Neuer - Hojbjerg (Van Buyten 102), Boateng, Martínez, Dante, Rafinha - Lahm (Ribéry 31, Pizarro 109) - Müller, Kroos - Robben, Götze
Substitute	Raeder, Contento, Shaqiri
Referee	Florian Meyer (Burgdorf)
Viewers	74,907 (capacity)
Goals	0-1 Robben (107), 0-2 Müller (120+3)
Yellow card	- / Kroos, Hojbjerg, Boateng, Van Buyten, Robben

Bayern's Impressive Route to the Cup Final

Bayern are in the DFB Cup final in Berlin for the third time on the bounce – and this season's path to the capital has seen the Reds make it to the final in style. FCB were never under any real pressure in any of the five knock-out rounds. fcbayern.de reviews the holders’ impressive route to the Cup final.

First Round: 5-0 at BSV SW Rehden
There were no problems in the tie against the fourth division side four days before the start of the Bundesliga campaign. Thomas Müller was fastest out of the blocks as the Germany international bagged a hat-trick. Xherdan Shaqiri and Arjen Robben also found the back of the opposition net.

Second Round: 4-1 at home to Hannover 96
Bayern were drawn against a fellow Bundesliga club in the second round, but Pep Guardiola's men had no trouble dealing with Hannover 96 on their own turf at the Allianz Arena. Müller netted his fourth and fifth cup goals on Karl-Heinz Rummenigge's 58th birthday with Claudio Pizarro and Franck Ribéry scoring the other two. Didier Ya Konan netted a consolation goal for Hannover to make it 2-1 at the time.

Round of Sixteen: 2-0 at FC Augsburg
Augsburg proved the hardest nut to crack on the way to Berlin. Goals from Robben and cup specialist Müller put the Reds through to the last eight. The match at the start of December was overshadowed by a collision involving the Augsburg keeper Marvin Hitz and Robben. The Dutchman suffered a bad gash that kept him out of action for several weeks.

Quarter-Final: 5-0 at Hamburg SV
Bayern were drawn away to HSV in February. While FCB were enjoying a purple patch at the time, Hamburg were already deep in the mire. That was reflected on the pitch: Bayern overran the team from the Hanseatic city to clock up a deserved 5-0 victory. This time it was Mario Mandzukic who scored a hat-trick with Dante and fit-again Robben sealing Hamburg's fate. It was Munich’s biggest-ever DFB Cup win against another side from the top flight.

Semi-final: 5-1 at home to FC Kaiserslautern
A home tie against a second division side was a gift for FCB in the last four. And Bayern took a grip of the game from the kick-off: Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos, Müller (seventh cup goal of the season), Mandzukic and Mario Götze scored for Bayern at the Allianz Arena. The Reds sailed serenely into cup final number 20.

Dortmund's route to the final

Bayern's opponents in the final, Borussia Dortmund, had four away ties and a significantly harder task than FCB. It started with a 3-0 win at Regional League outfit SV Wilhelmshaven. That was followed by a tight second round match at 1860 Munich with Dortmund progressing 2-0 in extra time. The Round of 16 game was away at third division FC Saarbrücken (2-0) and the quarter-final was at Eintracht Frankfurt (1-0). Borussia had their first home game at the semi-final stage when they secured a 2-0 win against VfL Wolfsburg to go through to the final.

Bayern Fired Up for the Cup

His gait: decisive. His appearance: serious, focused, thoughtful. Pep Guardiola was already in the proverbial tunnel on Friday afternoon, a day before the DFB Cup final against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday evening (Live in English from 8 pm CET on FCB.tv Web Radio). By contrast his opposite number Jürgen Klopp was cracking a joke or two at the pre-match press conference in the warm-up hall at Berlin Olympic Stadium. “We're ready,” announced Guardiola, “we’ll produce the best possible display.”

802 members of the media will report from the stadium on Saturday night as the top two teams in Germany go head-to-head in front of 75,000 fans: it is the perfect end to the 2013/14 campaign and also provides FC Bayern with the opportunity to secure the double. “The two best teams in Germany are facing each other. Everybody can look forward to this game. It's about another title,” said captain Philipp Lahm. And Guardiola can hardly wait for his first German cup final: “The atmosphere will be fantastic.”

However, Bayern will be below full strength in Berlin. Thiago is definitely ruled out after undergoing a knee operation on Thursday. Bastian Schweinsteiger (knee ligament) is also unavailable, Guardiola confirmed. “Basti is injured. He's in pain,” the coach said. Holger Badstuber recently returned to full training after recovering from a torn cruciate but the cup final comes too early for the centre-back. Mario Mandzukic did not travel to Berlin. “That was my decision,” explained the coach. Franck Ribéry has trained with the rest of the squad again and is an option, probably for the bench in the first instance.

Lewandowski fit for Dortmund

Mario Götze has a good chance of making the starting line-up. The Germany international wants to show what he can do in an important final: as a Dortmund player he missed out in 2012 and 2013 in the DFB Cup and Champions League finals due to injury. “I'm sure he'll play his part in helping us win the game,” declared Karl-Heinz Rummenigge ahead of the final.

Borussia Dortmund only arrived in the capital on Friday. They are at full strength with the exception of long-term absentees Ilkay Gündogan and Neven Subotic. According to Klopp, Robert Lewandowski can start despite suffering from a knock recently. “There are only two ways of winning the cup,” noted Dortmund's coach, “either you beat Bayern on the way to Berlin, or you beat them in the final.”

Klopp believes his team will have to approach the game with “passion” and “be prepared to give one hundred percent effort.” Only then, in Klopp's opinion, might it be possible to beat the Bundesliga champions. Dortmund skipper Sebastian Kehl can “hardly wait” for the clash with Bayern. “It will be an exciting game on even terms.” But what will the result be? “It won't end in a draw,” said Klopp - a comment that made even Guardiola smile.

Sixteen Bayern Stars in World Cup Frame

The forthcoming World Cup is even making its presence felt at Bayern training: on Tuesday, 30 days prior to the opening match in Brazil, the FCB stars worked out with the official tournament match ball. And many of the players also listened out for a call from their home countries, as the deadline for preliminary squad nominations is midnight Tuesday, when national head coaches must supply FIFA with provisional squad lists of up to 30 men. fcbayern.denames the Munich stars likely to be in the World Cup frame.

Javi Martínez, Thiago:
The FCB pair are in Spain’s 30-strong preliminary squad. Barcelona provide the largest single contingent to La Roja with seven players, followed by Champions League finalists Real and Atletico Madrid with four apiece. National coach Vicente del Bosque has named three uncapped players: David de Gea (Manchester United), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid) and Ander Iturraspe (Bilbao).

Xherdan Shaqiri:
As expected the 22-year-old will feature for the Swiss. At the squad announcement on Tuesday in Zurich, ex-Bayern boss Ottmar Hitzfeld named nine Bundesliga players in his final 23-strong party.

Daniel van Buyten: 
The Bayern centre-back is one of three Bundesliga stars on Marc Wilmots’ 24-man list. The English Premier League provides the largest group with 11 players. The number one keeper is Thibaut Courtois from Atletico Madrid.

Arjen Robben:
Bondscoach Louis van Gaal is set to make his announcement on Tuesday evening, but the former FCB supremo had already made clear the position regarding FCB’s speedy winger: “As of now only Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie know they’re definitely going to Brazil.“

Franck Ribéry:
The French list will also be released on Tuesday evening, but Ribéry is in any case one of the first names on boss Didier Deschamps’ team-sheets.

Mario Mandzukic:
Mandzu is as good as certain of a trip to South America, although he is suspended for the Croats’ opening match against the hosts following a red card in the final qualifying fixture.

Julian Green:
At just 18, the FC Bayern II striker has an outside chance of making it to the World Cup. US and former Munich coach Jürgen Klinsmann has named Green, who took the decision in March to represent the USA rather than Germany, in his 30-man preliminary squad.

Already nominated:

Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Manuel Neuer, Thomas Müller, Mario Götze, Jérôme Boateng and Toni Kroosare in Germany’s 30-strong preliminary squad.

Dante has been named in the final 23-man Brazil party.

Coaches must submit their final 23-man World Cup squads by midnight on 2 June. In the event of injury players may be replaced by standby candidates up to 24 hours prior to their team’s first group match.

Arjen Aims for Crowning Glory

Arjen Robben has been at Bayern for five years, the longest stay at a single club in his pro career. The 30-year-old left Real Madrid for FCB in August 2009, “and it was the best decision of my life,” he recently said. The Dutch ace has won almost everything there is to win in club football since then, so it was hardly a surprise when he signed a two-year extension to his current contract two months ago, keeping him in Munich until June 2017 

And Robben’s personal stats show just how much he is at home with Germany’s biggest club, as the 2013/14 campaign was in many respects his best so far. Arjen made his highest-ever total of 28 Bundesliga appearances. He scored 11 goals and provided seven assists, actually below his own personal best, but respected journalkicker ranked Robben the best outfield player in the league with an average rating per game of 2.47 out of six, earning him the title of top player of the season.

“It’s a great honour,” Arjen said on Monday, “I’m very pleased with the way the season went. The most important thing for me personally was playing all the way through.” The father of three missed only three games before Christmas after a collision with Augsburg keeper Marwin Hitz, “but otherwise I maintained my rhythm. If you feel good and settled you’ll give a good account of yourself,” he remarked.

A question of mental strength

Although he is still fresh from celebrating his third Bundesliga title with Bayern, he now intends to add DFB cup honours against Borussia Dortmund this Saturday. “If we perform to our potential and play as a team we have it in us to win the cup,” Robben stated. Completing the domestic double with a victory over BVB would be “the crowning glory” for the club. “It’s a very good season, and if we win the cup we can call it superb.“

However, the winger said, FCB can take nothing for granted in their third major final against Dortmund in the last three seasons. “We know all about their quality. They’re a superb team, so we know what to expect,” Robben warned. BVB comfortably won the most recent Bundesliga meeting at the Allianz Arena a few weeks ago, so Munich will not take much motivating prior to the Berlin Olympiastadion clash. “We’re playing a great team, and those are always the matches you look forward to,” he said.

Skill alone will not make the difference between victory or defeat in the final, Robben feels. “We can all play football, but every final is about passion, courage, and giving everything you’ve got,” the Netherlands regular commented. “It’s almost more about mental strength than football.” He himself is in fine shape prior to the last game of the domestic season: “I’m feeling really good at the moment, I’m fresh and I have energy to spare.“

Light Training for Schweinsteiger

Bastian Schweinsteiger is a minor doubt to face Borussia Dortmund in Saturday’s cup final at Berlin Olympiastadion. The FCB vice captain underwent an MRI scan on Monday at Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt’s practice and has been diagnosed with an inflammation around the kneecap. The midfielder has been put on an individually tailored programme of light training for the next few days. Depending on how the injury reacts, the plan is to review the player’s training burden on a day-to-day basis.

Scan on Monday for Injured Schweinsteiger

The one fly in the ointment of an otherwise perfect conclusion to the Bundesliga season came towards the end of the first half of Saturday’s meeting with Stuttgart when Bastian Schweinsteiger was forced out of the action after taking a knock to the left knee. The player will undergo an MRI scan on Monday to determine the seriousness of the damage. “Bastian has a problem with his kneecap,” Pep Guardiola announced at the post-match press conference, “but we still have six days to go [until the cup final].”

Champions Sign Off, with Last-Gasp Win

Bayern finished their 24th German championship-winning season on a high as Claudio Pizarro’s stoppage-time strike earned a tight but deserved victory over southern rivals VfB Stuttgart on Saturday afternoon. The match was hardly a thriller, butwas in one sense merely a prelude to the championship shield handover ceremony and the night-long party planned for the city.

The 71,000 full house at the Allianz Arena saw a bright opening, but the contest soon became a typically end-of-term affair with no clear-cut chances of note in the first half, although Arjen Robben was a bundle of energy and ideas for the home team. Munich produced bursts of urgency in the second period but Huub Stevens’ well-drilled Stuttgart team frustrated the home team for long spells and the crowd seemed set to witness the first goalless draw in Munich for over two years only for Pizarro to win it with the last kick of the match.

A 29th victory of term means FCB finish on 90 points, with three draws and only two defeats during the campaign. The last domestic fixture of term is next Saturday’s DFB Cup final in Berlin against Borussia Dortmund, who finished second in the Bundesliga a full 19 points off the runaway champions.

Two new faces

Guardiola made three changes to the team that beat Hamburg 3-1 last weekend, as Philipp Lahm and Mario Götze both missed out with injury and Jerome Boateng served the first game of a two-match ban. Mario Mandzukic, Rafinha and Daniel van Buyten came into the team, with Thiago on the bench for the first time after a two-month layoff.

The last league line-up of term featured Manuel Neuer in goal, David Alaba, Dante, Van Buyten and Rafinha in defence, Javi Martinez and Bastian Schweinsteiger in central midfield, Thomas Müller and Robben out wide, and Toni Kroos in the hole behind Mandzukic.

Few chances in first period

Following a festive warm-up programme and the home side’s emergence onto the field in their new 2014/15 kit for the first time, Alaba fashioned the first chance just ten seconds after referee Bastian Dankert whistled play underway, but Müller steered a gilt-edged opportunity wide of keeper Sven Ulreich’s far post. Kroos dragged a long-range effort wide, but VfB made a couple of half-chances too through Guinea international Ibrahima Traoré.

Despite Robben’s best efforts down the right the pace dropped for a spell, with ex-FCB youth Georg Niedermeier flipping a close-range effort over Neuer’s bar and Ulreich tipping a Mandzukic blaster round the post. The Croat was just beaten to a Rafinha cross and Schweinsteiger headed the ensuing corner wide as the champions forced the pace, but Mandzu’s 32nd-minute volley and Van Buyten’s effort were blocked and Müller glanced a header wide of the target.

There was a blow for FCB after 37 minutes when Schweinsteiger limped out of the action, his place going to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Robben placed a free-kick too close to Ulreich and then curled his next attempt over the bar but the game remained goalless through to the interval.

Pizza delivers

Hojbjerg soon made his mark after the restart with a muscular challenge to recover possession and a shot across the face of the VfB goal, before Rafinha’s drive was deflected for a corner and Ulreich dived bravely to thwart Alaba. FCB camped out in their opponents’ half and it seemed only a matter of time before the opening goal, Ulreich saving well from Robben on the hour and Dante heading a corner wide, before Claudio Pizarro replaced Mandzukic with 64 minutes on the clock.

FCB took a breather for a spell and VfB sub Cacau warmed Neuer’s gloves after 72 minutes, but Guardiola’s men fought back and veteran Pizza should have done better with a clear-cut chance skilfully created by Alaba. Hojbjerg shot wide, Robben had the ball in the net five minutes from time only to be hauled back for offside and then both the Dutchman and Alaba saw goalbound efforts saved by Ulreich. Van Buyten scooped a chance wide of the near post, but it was not over yet and Pizarro brought the crowd to its feet and ensured the mood was right for the party with the winner from outside the box two minutes into stoppage time.

Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley

Bayern Munich v VfB Stuttgart 1-0 (H-T: 0-0)

Bayern Munich	Neuer - Rafinha, Van Buyten, Dante, Alaba - Martínez - Robben, Kroos, Schweinsteiger (Hojbjerg 37), Müller - Mandzukic (Pizarro 64)
Substitute	Raeder, Contento, Weiser, Thiago
VfB Stuttgart	Ulreich - Sakai, Rüdiger, Niedermeier, Boka (Didavi 45) - Gruezo, Gentner - Traoré, Maxim (Werner 78), Rausch - Ibisevic (Cacau 65)
Substitute	Kirschbaum, Haggui, Leitner, Rathgeb
Referee	Bastian Dankert (Rostock)
Viewers	71,000 (capacity)
Goals	1-0 Pizarro (90+2)
Yellow card	Kroos, Dante / Boka, Didavi

First the Win, then 'Party Like Champions'

In an exception to the general rule, the public were welcome at the final pre-match training session on Friday, because prior to the last Bundesliga fixture of the season at home to VfB Stuttgart on Saturday (Live in English from 3.30 pm CET on Twitter and FCB.tv Web Radio) Pep Guardiola has nothing to hide. There is plenty of time until the DFB Cup final in Berlin, so the weekend is there to be enjoyed. FCB and their fans can look forward to the last 90 Bundesliga minutes of the campaign, the trophy presentation, the motorcade, and the celebrations in the city centre Marienplatz.

And of course the now obligatory showers of good Bavarian Weißbier. “I know it’s a big tradition here,” the well-informed Bayern boss acknowledged at Friday’s press conference, “and I’m a fan of traditions. I have no problem with it. if that’s what the players want to do, let them do it.“ Guardiola grinned, but added a not entirely serious warning: “Of course if they do they don’t stand much of a chance of playing in Berlin.“ Laughter filled the Säbener Strasse media centre.

As you would expect the mood prior to the championship celebration is upbeat and excited. As Guardiola noted, the cup final against Dortmund is not far from anyone’s mind, but an exceptional Bundesliga season deserves a worthy send-off. “It’s been a long road. I’m very, very proud of everyone at the club, not just the team.“

FCB wrapped up their 24th national championship at the end of March, earlier than any team before them. “It’s the most important and the best trophy,” Guardiola remarked. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge described the league season as “outstanding. We want to end it as we started it last August, and as the champions should - with a win!“

Lahm and Götze struggling

Three points to round off the campaign would naturally put Bayern in the best possible mood before they set off for Berlin next Thursday. Guardiola faces a couple of selection conundrums against Stuttgart. Franck Ribéry (back), Jérôme Boateng (suspension), Thiago and Xherdan Shaqiri (sports rehab) are definitely out, with Philipp Lahm and Mario Götze both facing fitness tests on the day of the match.

By contrast, Holger Badstuber is on the brink of a major breakthrough after a long and trying spell on the sidelines. After working his way back from a double cruciate ligament injury the former Germany international is set for a place in the matchday squad. “I’m really pleased for him,” said Guardiola, “but I’m not going to take any risks.” Badstuber last played for FCB on 2 December 2012.

Should the FCB youth product make his long-awaited return, the setting could hardly be better. “We want to celebrate together and party like champions,” Rummenigge announced. Guardiola said Saturday would be “a good day to come to the Allianz Arena. For lots of people it’s another Bundesliga title, but for me it’s a first major trophy with Bayern. So I intend to enjoy it tomorrow.“ At around 5.30 pm captain Lahm will step forward and bid the championship shield a very warm welcome home.

Saturday's Title Party Schedule

Bayern join their fans on Saturday to celebrate winning a 24th German championship, and a record-breaking one at that, as no team has ever wrapped up the Bundesliga title at an earlier point in the season. The programme for the day starts before the meeting with VfB Stuttgart and continues after the match.

Saturday's schedule:

1:30 pm: Allianz Arena opens. FC Bayern requests fans to attend the match in Tracht (traditional Bavarian costume) to give the title celebrations a worthy setting. Brass ensembles and Bavarian Goaßlschnalzer(whip crackers) will contribute to the mia-san-mia atmosphere.

3:30 pm: Bundesliga match between FC Bayern and VfB Stuttgart.

Approx. 5:20 pm: Preparations for the championship shield handover begin.

Approx. 5:35 pm: Captain Philipp Lahm receives the championship shield.

Approx. 6:00 pm: Start of musical programme at Marienplatz in the build-up to the championship party. Fans can watch FCB make their way to the Town Hall on a giant video screen.

Approx. 7:45 pm: Following the pattern established last season the team boards the championship truck for the motorcade to the Town Hall. Route:

Münchner Freiheit - Leopoldstrasse - Siegestor - Ludwigstrasse - Von der Tann-Str. - Franz-Josef-Strauß-Ring - Karl-Scharnagl-Ring - Maximilianstrasse - Dienerstrasse - Town Hall

Approx. 9:00 pm: Arrival at Town Hall

Approx. 9:05 pm: Team appears on Town Hall balcony and displays the championship shield to the fans.

Telekom Cup 2014: Bayern face Gladbach

Bayern partner Deutsche Telekom is once again staging the Telekom Cup in the build-up to the start of the 2014/15 campaign. The fixtures have now been finalised: FC Bayern meet Borussia Mönchengladbach at the Imtech Arena in Hamburg on 26 July (8.30 pm CET) after the first finalist is decided in the match between hosts Hamburg SV and VfL Wolfsburg (6.30 pm CET). The third place play-off (4.30 pm CET) and the Final (6.15 pm CET) will also be played in Hamburg on July 27.

“We're really looking forward to taking part in the top-class Telekom Cup again, and this year as the holders,” said chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. FC Bayern won last year's tournament with two wins against Hamburg (4-0) and hosts Borussia Mönchengladbach (5-1). “I'm sure the football fans and spectators in Hamburg will enjoy top-quality football and thrilling encounters over the two days,” Rummenigge summarised.

Boss: Good for Our Rhythm

Bayern returned to Munich from their last Bundesliga away trip of the season with the full complement of three points. The champions beat Hamburger SV 4-1 on Saturday to make it 28 league wins this season. “We did very well today and we’d worked up a head of steam by the end, so we can go home satisfied,” commented Toni Kroos after the contest against relegation-threatened HSV. 

Bayern Seal Morale-Boosting Win In Hamburg

Bayern produced exactly the right reaction to their midweek Champions League exit with a deserved and ultimately convincing win away to struggling Hamburg on Saturday. Pep Guardiola’s men needed a while to settle but turned in an increasingly vibrant display and were rewarded with the match-winning goals in a racy and up-tempo second half.

The 57,000 full house at the Imtech Arena saw the evenly-matched sides separated at the break only by Mario Götze’s strike just after the half-hour, but the champions steadily imposed their authority in the second period and sealed a comfortable win thanks to goals from Thomas Müller, Götze again and sub Claudio Pizarro, with Hakan Calhanoglu pulling one back for the home team. The only slight fly in the ointment from a Munich perspective was Jerome Boateng’s red card five minutes from time, but otherwise there were plenty of positives from the afternoon.

A 28th win from 33 matches this term takes FCB onto 87 points, 19 clear of second-placed Dortmund. The Bavarians complete their league programme next weekend at home to southern rivals VfB Stuttgart.

Two new faces for FCB

Guardiola made two changes to the team beaten by Real in midweek, bringing in Javi Martinez and Götze for Mario Mandzukic and the injured Franck Ribery (back). Manuel Neuer, fresh from extending his stay with FCB until 2019, made his 250th Bundesliga appearance - and with only 211 goals conceded in his games for Schalke and Bayern, was poised to smash Oliver Reck’s record of 266 goals against in 250 top-flight outings.

The visitors started with Neuer in goal, David Alaba, Jerome Boateng, Dante and captain Philipp Lahm in defence, Martinez and Bastian Schweinsteiger in central midfield, Müller and Arjen Robben out wide, and Toni Kroos in behind false nine Götze.

HSV boss Mirko Slomka brought in three new faces compared to the team that lost 3-1 to Augsburg, restoring Petr Jirecek, Robert Tesche and club captain Rafael van der Vaart in place of injured ex-FCB defender Marcell Jansen, the suspended Tolgay Arslan, and reserve striker Mattia Maggio.

Mario on target

After referee Marco Fritz whistled play underway, Guardiola’s men took charge early on and created the first couple of chances, with Robben loosing off a seventh-minute range-finder and Müller heading home two minutes later only for the goal to be ruled out for offside earlier in the move. But the home team clawed their way into the game and Croatia international Ivo Ilicevic smacked a good chance wide, before Hakan Calhanoglu followed suit on the quarter-hour.

The sides now cancelled each other out for a long spell, but the champions were always probing for openings and Götze duly broke the deadlock on 32 minutes, skilfully exchanging passes with Robben in the box and coolly slipping the ball past keeper Rene Adler despite the close proximity of three HSV defenders.

The goal took the wind out of the home team’s sails and Munich pushed on ominously with Schweinsteiger and Müller both coming close, although Neuer was forced into a fine save from Van der Vaart’s shot on the turn and Ilicevic missed the target as the strugglers showed a few signs of life before half-time.

Second-half goals seal it

The northerners were still eager in the early exchanges after the restart but FCB had upped their composure on the ball a notch and hovered dangerously around the Hamburg box, Adler diving bravely at Robben’s feet and both Schweinsteiger and Müller coming close. The second goal arrived after 55 minutes when the HSV defence totally failed to pick up Götze at a corner, the former BVB man comfortably controlling Robben’s corner and firing home from 12 yards, with the ball flicking off Müller’s shin on its way to goal.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg replaced Kroos in the 67th minute, before FCB wrapped it up once and for all two minutes later, Götze completing his brace with a thumping close-range volley after Adler could only divert Robben’s initial effort into the Germany international’s path.

It was by no means then end of the goalmouth action, as Calhanoglu pulled one back after 72 minutes with an unstoppable low drive from the left edge of the box, before Pizarro took over from Robben for the last 20 minutes. The Peruvian was immediately in the action and added to his impressive career scoring total with an overhead kick past Adler to chalk up his side’s fourth with 15 minutes still to play.

Lahm was denied a nailed-on penalty when Mr Fritz gave a corner despite a clear foul by Jiracek, and the captain came within an ace of adding his name to the scoresheet after a wonderful interchange with Müller. Tempers flared before the end as HSV sub Kerem Demirbay and Boateng squared off, the referee booking the home man and harshly brandishing a red card at the FCB centre-back. But it was only a minor blemish as the champions sealed a deserved and morale-boosting victory.

Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley

Hamburger SV - Bayern Munich 1-4 (H-T: 0-1)

Hamburger SV	Adler - Diekmeier (John 60), Westermann (Tah 76), Mancienne, Jiracek - Rincon, Badelj - Tesche, Calhanoglu, van der Vaart (Demirbay 67) – Ilicevic
Substitute	Drobny, Bouy, Steinmann, Maggio
Bayern Munich	Neuer - Lahm, Boateng, Dante, Alaba - Schweinsteiger, Javi Martinez – Robben (Pizarro 73), Kroos (Hojbjerg 67), Götze - Müller
Substitute	Raeder, Contento, Weiser, Mandzukic
Referee	Marco Fritz (Korb)
Viewers	57,000 (capacity)
Goals	0-1 Götze (32), 0-2 Müller (55), 0-3 Götze (69), 1-3 Calhanoglu (72), 1-4 Pizarro (75)
Yellow card	Demirbay / Martinez
Red cards	Boateng (85, retaliation)