Mentality key to success in empty stadiums: Bayern coach
berlin -- Bayern Munich players must work harder to motivate each other to maintain a winning mentality while playing in empty stadiums, coach Hansi Flick said on Friday.
The Bundesliga became the first major sports league to restart last week after more than two months following an easing of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions in Germany, but games are played without fans for health safety reasons.
“What is decisive is mentality. Obviously it is an advantage if you have higher quality on the pitch but this is a situation which is not very easy,” Flick, speaking in a virtual news conference, said of the empty stadiums.
“It is key that you bring that mentality to the pitch. It is important
that the team pushes itself so as to cover the level of motivation that has gone missing with the empty stands.”
Bayern, who host Eintracht Frankfurt at the Allianz Arena on Saturday, are chasing a record-extending eighth consecutive Bundesliga title and are four points ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund.
They played their first game behind closed doors, beating Union Berlin 2-0.
“Everyone of us has now played at least one time in front of empty stands,” Flick said. “We know what to expect. Before our game last week we had also trained at the Aliianz Arena (and not at the training centre) so we know what to expect in terms of atmosphere.”
Flick said in an on-line press conference on Friday that central midfielder Thiago was unlikely to play because of a hip muscle problem.
“We’ll have to wait,” Flick said. Frankfurt are 13th in the table and lost at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach
last Saturday for a fourth straight Bundesliga defeat, but they humiliated Bayern 5-1 in November.
Even though Bayern were reduced to 10 men after nine minutes that day when Jerome Boateng was sent off, that defeat cost Flick’s predecessor Niko Kovac his job.
“Frankfurt overwhelmed us there with their dynamism,” Flick said. “It’s a different game, with different conditions. It starts at zero.”
Bayern lead Borussia Dortmund by four points and the two teams meet on Tuesday, when Bayern travel to the Ruhr for a potentially pivotal match.
Flick insisted his team would not be distracted on Saturday. -