Bayern have completed their first training session in the US. But they still need to settle in.
The most commonly used word at FC Bayern right now? “Acclimatize.” It’s not easy with the long journey from Munich to Orlando, the six-hour time difference, and the sweltering temperatures in the “Sunshine State” of Florida.
Although Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller are used to it, having been in South Korea in equally warm weather just last summer. “We have to acclimatize,” says captain Neuer, just to be on the safe side. The flight, sleep, training, temperatures: “Even as athletes, you have to get used to it first.”
Fortunately, there is still some time left, as the tournament “only” kicks off on Sunday with the opening game in Cincinnati against New Zealand outsiders Auckland City. Neuer believes that the video analysis “might take a little longer because we don’t know the teams and opponents that well.” But “we will take a very close look at what our opponents did last season.”
In any case, the spirit is “set,” Müller assures us. “The coach didn’t leave any question marks hanging in the air, just an exclamation mark. We want to be here to win this thing. And that’s how we’re going to approach it.”
Of course, it won’t be easy, especially after a long season, dozens of national team trips, and so on. And keeper Neuer also thinks that “we should think about” how to deal with the strain in the future. But Müller is not accepting any excuses ahead of his last tournament as a Bayern player: “We became professional soccer players to be professional soccer players, not to have a vacation.”
He also knows the importance of rest periods, “but it’s up to the coaching team and the clubs to distribute the playing time. The fact that there is now an additional competition is something that can always be discussed.”
But that doesn’t matter now anyway, it’s almost time to get started. Müller won’t be feeling melancholic on his farewell tour, at least that’s what he thinks. “Thankfully, I’m not as sensitive as people might think. I’m happy to be here. And of course, standing on the soccer field is the best thing in the world for me.”
There is no hint of melancholy. “It will be strange,” says Müller, “when my key no longer works at the FC Bayern grounds. That’s probably the moment I’m dreading, when I can no longer go to the canteen.” Fortunately, there’s still some time to go.
