MY ACCOUNT
Former Bayern Munich striker Ivica Olic insists the club will bounce back after disappointment in the Champions League last season.
The Bundesliga giants were eliminated at the quarter-final stage by Villarreal, with Samuel Chukwueze’s late goal at the Allianz Arena stunning Bayern as they fell to a 2-1 aggregate defeat.
That marked the second season in a row where Bayern have fallen at the last-eight hurdle and that disappointment raised questions about their direction, which Olic believes are part and parcel of being a big club.
“It’s always like that with big clubs. When the result is right, everything is great, everyone is great, and the dirty laundry doesn’t come out,” he told Stats Perform.
“But this season the disappointment in Bayern is certainly great, because they have “only” won the [league] championship.
“They were kicked out of the Champions League pretty early on by a not-so-‘attractive’ opponent. When I say attractive, I mean it at the highest level.
“No one thought they could be eliminated over two games against Villarreal. But if we now look at the two games, Villarreal deservedly progressed. Bayern weren’t good and you have to admit that.”
Bayern face a rebuild of their attacking ranks ahead of the next season with Robert Lewandowski pushing for an exit and Sadio Mane poised to arrive from Liverpool, with Olic confident Bayern can be successful in the market.
“Certainly, when the problems then become public and interesting topics come up, in terms of players who want to leave the club, like Lewandowski, then it shakes the building blocks of a club, not just those of Bayern,” he added.
“It’s certainly not a pleasant situation, neither for the sporting director nor the president, so neither for [Hasan] Salihamidzic, nor Oliver Kahn. But they have a lot of experience at Bayern.
“Sure, managing the club and playing at the club are not the same. But I think they embody FC Bayern’s DNA, and they are aware of that.
“You will certainly get a lot of support from [Karl-Heinz] Rummenigge and [Uli] Hoeness. The two are no longer in the club, but they are certainly informed. I am sure that they will advise you.
“You will be involved in larger and more interesting transfers. I am sure that FC Bayern will recover quickly from last season.
“If it comes to it that Lewandowski leaves, they will certainly find a suitable replacement and will continue to be at the forefront of European football.”
