Doha (AFP) – Bayern Munich shrugged off their nightmare flight to Qatar on Sunday to set their sights on winning the Club World Cup to prove beyond doubt that “winning is in the club’s DNA”.
The German giants tackle Egypt’s Al Ahly on Monday in the semi-finals with a final clash against Tigres of Mexico the reward.
“We have the very clear objective of bringing the Club World Cup back to Munich. Six trophies in the same year, so far only FC Barcelona have done it,” said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
Bayern have already won the German league and cup, Champions League as well as the German and European Super Cups in 2020.
They came close to a sweep of all six in 2013 when only the German Super Cup slipped through their fingers to great rivals Borussia Dortmund.
“Always wanting to win everything has long been part of the DNA of this club,” said Rummenigge.
Late last year when there were fears the tournament could be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, coach Hansi Flick and a delegation of senior players even came to Rummenigge to ask him to convince FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to save the tournament.
Rummenigge said he was impressed by this determination.
“They won everything in 2020, they have a hellish schedule to manage, but they always want more,” he explained.
“We absolutely wanted to play this tournament,” said Flick on Sunday. “We know it’s extra fatigue, but we come in motivated.”
The fatigue was caused by the entire squad having to spend Friday night and early Saturday morning stranded at Berlin airport due to heavy snow.
“Of course it was not optimal and unfortunately we lost most of the day on Saturday,” said Bayern star Joshua Kimmich.
“We arrived late afternoon, the plan was to train which was not possible any more. Nonetheless I think that we will be able to win the match.
“The trip didn’t go that well but we did have the possibility to lay down in the plane.”
Flick, too, was angry over the seven-hour hold-up in snow-bound Germany.
“I was not very happy. We were on time, on the plane, ready to take off. It was not very pleasant,” he said.
