Bayern Munich [R]

[wolfsburgh]

I thought Bayern's stated goal was to cultivate premier German players for the 2006 WC (hence the push for Deisler and Ballack, and the unsuccessful bid for the guy from Freiburg who went to Dortmund and who's name eludes me at this very moment). The acquisition of Sas would not seem to be consistent with that policy.

[Syncope]

Bayern has certainly missed out on signing great German players; Frings in particular (in my opinion), but also Kehl (they pretty much let him out of his pre-contract after he turned out to be such a priss), and Friedrich (scouts gave Hoeness bad advice). I think most German players that didn't go for a Bayern offer did so out of personal reasons, not sporting--one pretty much grows up loving or hating the team, and I think in Frings' case that was very much the reason.

PAST
Up until recently, Bayern did employ (but not field) the starting attacker for the NT, but hopefully soon even Voeller will stop clinging to Jancker.

Scholl, in my opinion, is the best German player...when he's not injured, which puts him out of contention about 70% of the time. Of course, Scholl has quit the NT.

PRESENT
Ballack and Deisler did join Bayern. Ballack, if he manages to stay healthy, should have a stellar career. Deisler, in my opinion, should quit now. I would love to see him succeed at Bayern and the NT, I just don't think it'll ever happen for any reasonably extended period of time. Nonetheless, Deisler is a NT player because Voeller will call him back.

Jeremies is a NT player, and I believe he will re-sign with Bayern before the end of the season. Hamann, ex-Bayern now Liverpool, is the better NT midfield choice in my opinion.

Kahn will remain in the NT for a while. Not because he's a great goalkeeper--we have many--but because opposing players piss in their pants when they play against him.

FUTURE
The Bayern amateur team fields very good players in the Ux teams:
- Markus Feulner (U21, midfield, actually became a Bayern pro last season but hasn't seen too much playing time yet)
- Markus Husterer (U20, defense)
- Philipp Lahm (U20, midfield)
- Piotr Trochowski (U20, midfield)
- Markus Grünberger (U19, goal)
- Michael Rensing (U19, goal, the next big thing according to Hoeness and Rummenigge)
- Christian Lell (U19, midfield)
- Bastian Schweinsteiger (U19, midfield, signed to the pro team over the winter break)
- Erdal Kilicaslan (U19, attack)

It is important to note that many other German top teams have just as many U-players, so the competition is tough. However, Schweinsteiger, Lahm, and Feulner all looked very good against Lens in a CL game that was still very important to Lens. Rensing should complete this set of up-and-coming players. Still, Bayern doesn't currently field any of the "Team 2006" players (http://www.dfb.de/dfb-team/team2006/index.html), which are established pros said to have a future chance at the A-team (and quite a few of which have already had A-team appearances).

Tobias Rau (U21) wants to sign to Bayern--he is supposed to become Lizarazu's understudy for one season (2003/04). Bayern and Wolfsburg will have to find common ground to make a transfer for the coming season a reality, otherwise no deal.

Klose is on Bayern's shopping list, and every other club's in Europe. Why this is I can't answer, but my guess is he won't end up at Bayern.

And now, to finally answer to your inquiry :)
In a year-end interview, both Hoeness and Rummenigge remarked on the development of players:

Question: After winning the CL there was talk of rebuilding the team. When do you think this will be completed?
Hoeness: Such a process always takes two to three years, and we can only start this process when contracts with older players start to expire. This is now slowly beginning with Tarnat, Fink, and a few others. But you can only let contracts expire if you have alternatives available, and this is what we are working on. It doesn't make any sense not to extend Tarnat's contract if Rau doesn't come. Because of this, one action is very dependent on the other.
Rummenigge: Every year we have to try to improve and change the team a little bit. Age is very important in this process; you have to have a continuous rejuvenation process. Five-year plans do not work in football. You have to assess your situation every year, and, for example, if you need a right defender then you have to go and get one, and not, as it is often done in Italy, sign a central striker just because he carries a greater image and prestige. You have to buy according to your needs, that's why we are working on our transfers early on.

<snip>

Q: How do you rate Bayern's youth-work?
H: We are spending a lot of money in this area, and it would be nice if our pro-team could benefit from this in the next few years. With Hermann Gerland and the other coaches, we have a very good, very professional staff, and we are hopeful to be able to promote a lot more players than we have in the past.

Q: Isn't it counter-productive then to sign Demichelis, a 22-year old South American player?
H: One does not exclude the other. At the very moment that you stop looking internationally at all your alternatives to try and get the best possible player, then you stop being a contender in international footballing competitions (CL, UEFA, etc.). You have to try and get the best possible player for the position or the situation that faces you. Preferably this player should come from your own ranks, but when that player isn't available here, then we have to travel to Buenos Aires.

Q: With Bastian Schweinsteiger you already have a Bayern-talent signing a professional team contract. Who else could follow him?
H: This is exactly the path we want to follow. With Lahm, Schweinsteiger, and Feulner we have successfully raised players to the upper ranks. Add to that Lell and Rensing, who will probably soon be the No.2 in goal, and who has a fantastic career ahead of him. So we have quite a few young players who have a chance in the mid-term to make their mark here.
R: Add to that Trochowski. Those are all interesting players who we want to give a spot to--if they earn it. They have to work (fight) for it, but if they prove themselves then we want to add them to the pro team. This is the philosophy which we will have made more prominent in the coming few years.

Interview in German, 3 parts:
http://www.fcbayern.t-online.de/de/club/archive/news/09095.php
http://www.fcbayern.t-online.de/de/club/archive/news//09102.php
http://www.fcbayern.t-online.de/de/club/archive/news/09104.php

So, if Sas can hang on to his WC form, pretty much any club, if run as a business, would probably want to sign him--why not Bayern. What's a team to do if offers to the best domestic players are rejected by some (many?) of them? At least Bayern is trying to develop players in house instead of just trying to buy them like in the past.

[MikeLastort2]

Threads merged at Syncope's request.

[Syncope]

I thought that Feulner and Trochowski looked good yesterday vs. Hannover (for those who don't know, Jeremies, Salihamidzic, Ballack, Deisler, Scholl, Santa Cruz, and Zickler are out injured). Of course, anyone who actually tried to play would have looked good when compared to the rest of Bayern. A lucky draw for Munich; not that Hannover took it really to them, but they did score two beautiful freekick goals (the first one was probably over the line when it hit Kahn in the head). Did anyone else think that referee Krug turned into a Bayern fan during overtime?

I'm very happy with how the youths are developing.

[MarioKempes]

Is there any validity (truth) to Matthaeus' claims for money from the 2000 testimonial game?

I'm actually smiling that Matthaeus made Uli Hoeness angry. :)

[olafgb]

Originally posted by MarioKempes
Is there any validity (truth) to Matthaeus' claims for money from the 2000 testimonial game?

I'm actually smiling that Matthaeus made Uli Hoeness angry. :)

Nobody has an insight in that I guess. The media is clearly on side of Bayern, but also they don't really know what it's all about. Matthäus obviously still feels very offended by Hoeneß' stupid and exaggerated reaction that Matthäus will never even become green keeper in their new stadium after Matthäus did some harmless criticism. I doubt that he is holding the legal things in his hands though - his lawyers will be the ones, who told him to sue. But after all, that's what courts are for - they'll clear the quarrel and everything's fine afterwards. Personally I don't see a reason why Bayern doesn't give him a copy of the files, it doesn't do them any harm if everything is alright.