Nagelsmann’s appointment indicative of new approach
GUWAHATI: Continuity, said Philipp Lahm, made him successful at every position he played in. The former Bayern Munich and Germany skipper, who retired four years back, is among the few footballers to have captained World Cup and Champions League winning teams.
After making his name as a full-back, Lahm played defensive midfielder with equal distinction for club and country. In this exclusive interview, Lahm, 37, spoke about next month’s European championship, the Bundesliga season and his former teammate Robert Lewandowski’s new record. Edited excerpts:
Not many expected Gerd Mueller’s record of 40 Bundesliga goals in a season to be broken. Does it surprise you that Lewandowski did it?
Yes, I must say I was a bit surprised. After all, it has been a longstanding record. I also have to say in that context that it is also due to his club FC Bayern, who for years have performed at the top, and his teammates, who are top performers, all of them. I think such an environment also helped him to become the new record-holder (with 41 goals).
Your thoughts on Julian Nagelsmann being appointed as Bayern coach.
It is a very interesting appointment with him being a young manager (Nagelsmann is 33) on one hand but also very experienced on the other. He comes with a certain degree of sovereignty.
It also indicates a new approach from FC Bayern to be appointing such a young coach who has the potential to develop the team in view of the fact that quite a few players who have been with the club for the treble (in 2019-20) are going to leave.
Given the quality Bayern have at the moment, what do you think Dortmund, Leipzig and other clubs can do to challenge them regularly?
I believe it will probably be Dortmund and Leipzig who will continue to be the main competitors of Bayern in the Bundesliga. But they will need to show consistency over the entire 34 matchdays of the Bundesliga season. They will have to make an effort to strike the right balance between attack and defence.
The European Championship is the final tournament for Joachim Loew as Germany head coach. How do you look back at his work?
To answer that, you just have to look at all the successes he can talk about. After his start in 2004, then becoming assistantcoach in 2006, coming third in the tournament; and then in all the tournaments through to 2016, his teams have always made it to at least the semi-finals. That goes to show how well he has been able to work with the team. Successes like that speak for themselves.
Your thoughts on Hansi Flick replacing Loew after the Euros.
First of all, there’s the upcoming tournament awaiting us. We all wish for a successful one for Loew as a coach but also for our team as a whole, especially after the early exit in 2018 (World Cup).
As for Hansi Flick, he will have to prove that he can do it (with Germany). I mean, he has obviously proven that he can coach an excellent and successful team such as FC Bayern. But with every new appointment, every coach has to prove himself time and again. This becomes apparent from Loew, who has repeatedly reached the semi-finals but still got eliminated in the group stage in 2018. You have to prove yourself over and over— this goes for Flick too.
Your favourites for the European Championship.
I would say the big football nations in Europe: Spain, England, Portugal, Germany and France. Maybe also Italy as a big football nation – they are also someone you first have to get out of the tournament after all.
Thomas Mueller is back in the Germany squad. What makes him such an important player for Bayern and Germany?
I would say it is the way he acts and performs in the last third of the field, especially at the edge of the box. He is the one who has again provided the most assists this season. He is incredibly dangerous in that area and knows how to use his teammates and how to finish himself. The last third of the pitch is what I call the Thomas Mueller third.
You have played as a fullback and as a midfielder. What made you successful as a player?
It’s difficult to talk about oneself but I would say it was continuity—over the years, staying up there and rendering top performances time and again. Also, I think I always understood my role as a player, which was to support my teammates, making sure that they didn’t run into problems. I think those were the things that categorised me.
The best moment of your career.
Being world champion. I mean, it’s a tournament that takes place every four years and being there with your national team, representing your country and winning the title, that’s really the greatest that you can achieve as a football player.