Don't ask me to coach again when I'm 80: Heynckes
Bayern Munich coach says German Cup final will definitely be his swansong
| BAYERN MUNICH | EINTRACHT FRANKFURT |
Jupp Heynckes brings the curtain down on his fourth spell as Bayern Munich coach this weekend, warning the German giants not to call on him again when he’s 80.
Heynckes takes charge of Bayern for the final time in the German Cup final against Eintracht Frankfurt, whose current boss Niko Kovac will take over the Munich hot seat.
The 73-year-old Heynckes took charge in October for his fourth stint when Carlo Ancelotti was fired.
He could bow out with the league and cup double after Bayern won the Bundesliga title by a massive 21 points.
“We want to put in a good performance for the fans and create another highlight,” said Heynckes.
He also offered a warning to Kovac, his replacement for next season.
“It is an incredibly labour-intensive, round-the-clock job,” said Heynckes, who holds the record of 1,037 German league games as a player or coach.
“Being coach at Bayern is a great opportunity – but also a huge commitment.”
However, he insists there will be no return for a fifth stint as coach.
“FC Bayern should not ask again when I’m 80, that was definitively it for me,” said Heynckes.
“I will not have withdrawal symptoms and no boredom, I have a lot of hobbies.”
Heynckes says he is looking forward to watching football as a fan alongside his wife Iris and dog Cando at the family home in Schwalmtal, near Moenchengladbach.
“That’s what makes me happy, so it’s easy for me to quit the job.”
Heynckes oversaw his last training session in Munich on Thursday before the team flew to Berlin for the final and the message is clear.
“If we have to say goodbye to our coach, then we want to do that with the double,” said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
Bayern captain Thomas Mueller has recovered from gastroenteritis, but Arjen Robben is out with a groin strain.
Meanwhile, after eight months on the sidelines, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will be on the Bayern bench for the cup final, boosting his hopes of being fit for Germany’s opening World Cup match on June 17 against Mexico in Moscow.
Neuer, the Germany captain, has not played since fracturing his foot last September, but has been included in the squad, the first time since his injury.
– AFP
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now