Jupp Heynckes will be replaced by Josep Guardiola as Bayern Munich’s head coach in the coming season.
DPA/Munich
Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes expects an emotional farewell to the Bundesliga in the league season finale today at Borussia Moenchengladbach, where his career once started.
Heynckes readily admitted yesterday that the occasion is more special than at the last home game in Munich a week ago, and that he will field his strongest team in the final game before the all-German May 25 Champions League decider against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
“Of course the players want to win on Saturday, and so do I,” he said.
“I don’t see the game in Moenchengladbach as a dress rehearsal, but the countdown is underway. We want to continue in this (winning) way and keep our rhythm. There will be no rotation.”
Heynckes reshuffled his team in the league on several recent occasions after securing the title with six games to spare in a record-breaking campaign, which gave the stars enough energy to demolish Barcelona 4-0 and 3-0 in the Champions League semi-finals.
The 68-year-old recalled his career which started with a debut game as forward for Moenchengladbach in 1965, a broken goalpost in a 1971 league match and the broken goal ahead of a Champions League semi against Dortmund in 1998 when he led Real Madrid to the European top trophy.
Heynckes said the game will be his last in the Bundesliga where he will feature a 1,011th time (369 games as player and 642 as coach, including today), but has left the door a little open for another move abroad.
Heynckes, whose team is also in the German cup final on June 1 against VfB Stuttgart in search of a title treble, said all that counts now are the three remaining games.
“I am only concentrating on the Champions League final and I won’t hold any talks until after the season,” he said at his last news conference at Munich’s training ground and club headquarters.
Looking at the interest from abroad, allegedly including Real Madrid, he added: “Given that my team, FC Bayern, plays such an attractive, modern and wonderful football, then it is only natural that the whole world thinks it has to contact me or sign me.”