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Bayern already looking ahead to next season
Kahn: We'll be back with a vengeance
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06.05.2002
The line between success and failure is probably at its finest in football. Last year, lady luck decreed Patrick Andersson's strike in the 94th minute of the last game in Hamburg should find its way into the net, and Bayern were champions. This time around, the defending champions were not so fortunate - and have ended up empty-handed. After a roller-coaster of a season and the closest run-in since 1992, Ottmar Hitzfeld's men have finished third in the Bundesliga, just two points short of an historic fourth title in a row.
In their final game, the Munich giants once again gave it everything they had, and did what had to be done to preserve their slim chance of lifting the trophy. Bayern made it 13 games without defeat as they deservedly beat HansaRostock 3-2 at home on Saturday - but this time, their rivals around the country held their nerve, leaving Germany's most successful club without domestic or European honours for the first time since 1995, notwithstanding the World Club Cup win last November.
But prolonged mourning is not the Bayern way of things: no sooner had the final whistle gone on Saturday, and with it the recognition it had not been their day, than the club was already looking forward to next term. "In Michael Ballack and Sebastian Deisler we're getting two of the very best. We'll be hungry again. So we'll be back with a vengeance next season," seasoned international Oliver Kahn declared. And general manager Uli Hoeneß was prepared to go a step further: "If we all play just15 percent better, we'll easily win the German championship," the 50 year-old said, predicting renewed domination for the newly dethroned champions.
Having bid an emotional and noisy farewell to captain Stefan Effenberg and to Paulo Sergio, the capacity 63,000 crowd at the Olympic stadium saw Bayern sign off for the season in some style. Rostock's Steffan Baumgart put through his own goal on 39 minutes for Bayern to take the lead, later extended by the impressive Mehmet Scholl (56) and striker Giovane Elber (83). Rostock, who played a lively role in the entertainment, twice reduced the deficit through debutant Kevin Hansen (81) and Marcus Lantz (89).
Despite their disappointment at the way the season ended, Bayern's staff showed themselves tobe fair and reasonable losers. "We played the least attractive football of all three top teams," Scholl observed critically. "There's nothing for us to celebrate, as we've not won anything, apart from the World Club Cup," was Hitzfeld's sobering summary.
Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was happy to offer his congratulations to newly-crowned Borussia Dortmund. "Let's recognise Dortmund's achievement in winning the Bundesliga. At the end, whichever team has a single point more deserves the title," hesaid. "Congratulations to Borussia Dortmund. They definitely deserve the title. They've collected the most points, they never gave up and always believed in themselves," Hitzfeld said in praise of his former employers.
And all in all, the 53 year-old appeared not entirely dissatisfied. "I'm happy we've finished in the top three," he declared. Indeed, a few weeks ago Bayern were briefly staring at the nightmare scenario of missing out on European competition altogether; but now, the minimum target ofentry to the Champions League at least had been achieved. "Third place is a good result, but not a very good one. We've done our duty," he continued, making it clear more would be expected next term.
"It's been a tough season. We had to show alot of fight and recover from a few minor crises. But Bayern Munich has hardly imploded, the side showed a lot of character," Hitzfeld added, praising his players for ending the season in good shape, which many had predicted would not be the case after the previous year's outstanding results. The decisive factor, the coach believed, had been "that our attacking options were affected by losing Scholl, Effenberg and Salihamidzic for long periods."
A hugely successful team now looks on the point of breaking up, as the World Club Cup holders rebuild with fresh young blood. Having failed to secure a fourth league title in succession, Bayern view the championship shield not as lost, but rather out on loan to arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund - for just a year.
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