After an outstanding season last year, expectations for FC Bayern are sky-high. Sporting Director Max Eberl knows that the record-holding German champions are judged by their own successes. Ahead of the start of the new season, however, the 52-year-old warns against taking last season’s performances for granted.
Under Vincent Kompany, FC Bayern has set the bar high for itself. The domestic double, reaching the Champions League semifinals, and numerous strong performances have ensured that the Munich club is expected to achieve great success again this season.
For Max Eberl, however, this doesn’t mean that Bayern can simply pick up where they left off. Rather, the team must earn its dominance all over again. “We first have to get back into that flow that we worked so hard to achieve last year,” the sporting director explained in an interview with MagentaTV.
Eberl recalled the impressive start to last season’s Bundesliga campaign. Back then, the record champions swept RB Leipzig aside 6–0 at the Allianz Arena, immediately making a statement. “Last year, we played our first Bundesliga game at home against Leipzig, and it was a 6–0 win right off the bat. That’s when that momentum started,” said Eberl.
There’s no guarantee that such momentum will repeat itself. “But we have to work to build it up again. It’s anything but a given. We have to work hard for it, believe in it, and approach every opponent that way from the start.”
“We’ve set the bar high”
Eberl is making it clear that, despite being the favorites, Bayern won’t have it easy. At the same time, the sporting director knows that after last season’s strong performance, there’s hardly any room for lower expectations.
“We’ve set the bar high. I know we’ll always be measured against that now. That’s our own fault. But we want to reach that level again,” emphasized the 52-year-old.
The message ahead of next week’s season opener in the Super Cup against Borussia Dortmund is therefore clear: FC Bayern wants to compete for every title once again. To do so, however, the team must first regain the fluidity and dominance it displayed last season.