Van Gaal: Bayern are not Europe's elite

Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal still does not believe his team are among the elite sides of European football.

Bayern have the chance to join Liverpool as five-times winners of the European Cup when they take on Inter Milan at the Bernabeu stadium in Madrid tomorrow night.

The German giants, like opponents Inter, have the chance to secure an historic treble having already won their domestic league and cup competitions, while en route to tomorrow's final they knocked out highly-fancied Manchester United having trailed 4-2 on aggregate at one point.

Despite all that though, Van Gaal feels they are not yet in the class of teams like United and last season's European champions Barcelona.

When asked if he felt Bayern had reached the highest level with their performances domestically and in Europe this season, Van Gaal said: "I don't think so. As I said before I think that Chelsea, Manchester United and Barcelona are the better teams of Europe. Nevertheless, we can win the title.

"We have shown our level and of course we were also a little bit lucky that time when we played against Manchester United, but it was deserved I believe.

"It's always possible that the lower level club wins, that's sport."

Van Gaal also used this opportunity to appeal to FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA chief Michel Platini to introduce changes to help referees make key decisions due to the amount at stake in top matches.

"I still believe Barca have shown the best football this season in Europe, but details are always deciding the game, and when the referee is not doing what he has to do, then you have a problem," Van Gaal added.

"I've said it before, we have to help the referee as he cannot see everything. And the interest is so high. So maybe Mr Platini, maybe Mr Blatter, we have to change this."

Van Gaal, who won the Champions League with Ajax in 1995, took charge of Bayern last summer but the Dutchman suffered a difficult start to life in the Allianz Arena hotseat.

In their opening three matches Bayern only picked up two points, while in the Champions League group stages they looked destined for an early exit after taking just four points from their first four matches.

However, they scraped through in second place behind Bordeaux following victories in their final two matches against Maccabi Haifa and Juventus, before then claiming away goals successes over Fiorentina and Manchester United in the next two rounds following 4-4 aggregate draws.

In the semi-finals they cruised past Lyon 4-0, thanks largely to Ivica Olic's hat-trick in the return meeting in France.

Speaking about his time in charge, Van Gaal believes it takes time to get a team playing the way he wants.
"From day one the team tried to understand me. I have a specific way of training not only the body but the mind and this takes time," he said.

"When I was at Ajax it also took six months for the team to understand my philosophy, and also at Barcelona and Bayern. The chemistry between the players and coach is very important."

Bayern will be missing one of their key cogs tomorrow as French winger Franck Ribery is suspended.
However, they will still be able to call on flying Dutchman Arjen Robben, a player who will know the Bernabeu well having represented Real Madrid before joining Bayern.

Van Gaal also has plenty of other attacking weapons in his armoury with the likes of Olic, Miroslav Klose and Bastian Schweinsteiger capable of testing an Inter defence which performed heroics in the semi-final second leg against holders Barcelona at the Nou Camp.

Comparing his football philosophy to that of Inter counterpart Jose Mourinho, who was once an assistant to Van Gaal at Barca, the Dutch coach feels he is a more attack-minded coach that the Portuguese, but he is well aware that the Italian champions have plenty of firepower going forward as well.

"I think my philosophy is always to attack. I think Mourinho is more defensive tactically but he has good players who can decide the outcome of a match," Van Gaal said.

"I think Inter Milan are a very difficult opponent and I think their matches against Chelsea and Barcelona have proved that."

Source: ESPN Star 

[QUOTES] Bastian Schweinsteiger - May 21, 2010

"We have a positive attitude. The atmosphere is great within the team. Every player knows that we can achieve something historic; we can become the first team from Germany to win the treble so every one of us can't wait to play, and win, this final. We had a great evening [at the German Cup final] in Berlin and I assume it will be an even greater evening on Saturday."

Source: UEFA

Bayern’s road to the final in Madrid (6)

Commanding display in Lyon

After coming back to win on away goals in both the previous rounds, Bayern demonstrated their command in the semi-final against French cracks Olympique Lyon, conquerors of Real Madrid. Despite losing Ribéry to a red card for a mistimed challenge in the 37th minute of the first leg in Munich, the home team created chance after chance and eventually Robben secured the victory with a long-range effort in the 69th minute.

Even without Ribéry’s influential presence, Bayern were far too good for Lyon a week later at Stade Gerland. Olic was on blistering form, making it a personal triumph with goals in the 26th, 67th and 78th minutes. Nine years after their last Champions League triumph in 2001, Bayern had deservedly ridden their luck and capitalised on steadily improving form to reach the final again.

Source: FC Bayern

Bayern’s road to the final in Madrid (5)

Revenge for Barcelona

Bayern were very much outsiders after being drawn against long-time rivals Manchester United in the quarter-finals, and even more so after England star Wayne Rooney fired the visitors into the lead at the Allianz Arena after just 63 seconds. But with enthusiastic backing from the home fans, Bayern recovered to dominate the game and deservedly equalised after 77 minutes through Franck Ribéry’s deflected free kick. Then, in an uncanny echo of United’s 1999 Champions League final win in Barcelona, Olic rocked the stadium to its foundations when, with the last attack of the game, he wriggled free of the defence and beat Edwin van der Sar to complete a 2-1 win.

Rooney had limped off injured in Munich and it was a surprise to find him in the starting line-up at Old Trafford the following week. Again Bayern found themselves on the back foot right from the kick-off, as Darron Gibson drove home a long-range effort in the third minute, followed four minutes later by a second from Nani. When the Portuguese winger scored again in the 41st minute, Van Gaal’s team seemed to be in danger of humiliation.

But when Olic popped up to beat Van der Sar from close range seconds from the interval, Bayern suddenly saw a chance to get back into the game – especially after United’s Brazilian defender Rafael was sent off in the 50th minute after receiving a second caution for hauling down Ribéry. From then on there was only one team in it, and Robben clinched the visitors’ semi-final berth in magnificent fashion, volleying Ribéry’s corner crisply into the net from the edge of the penalty area.

Source: FC Bayern

Bayern’s road to the final in Madrid (4)

Luck on their side

Bayern entered the knock-out stages of the Champions League transformed from their earlier struggle for form – and perhaps as importantly, enjoying a healthy slice of good fortune. That much was clear from the goal that won the home leg against Fiorentina in the round of 16. After Arjen Robben’s 45th minute penalty was cancelled out by an equaliser from Per Kroldrup five minutes after the interval, all Bayern’s efforts to force a winner seemed in vain – until, a minute before the end, Olic found Miroslav Klose in a position that looked suspiciously offside, but the German international striker’s goal was allowed to stand.

In Florence’s Artemio Franchi Stadium three weeks later, Juan Vargas gave the home side a 28th-minute lead, before the game was decided in an unforgettable 11-minute second-half spell. When Stevan Jovetic scored a second for Fiorentina in the 54th minute, Bayern were in danger of slipping out of the competition, but six minutes later Van Bommel’s long-distance drive levelled the tie on aggregate. In the 64th minute Jovetic’s second goal roused the home fans to a frenzy, but they were silenced less than 60 seconds later as Robben went on a mazy run before curling his shot into the corner of the net from 30 metres out, clinching victory for Bayern on away goals despite a 3-2 defeat on the night.

Source: FC Bayern

Bayern’s road to the final in Madrid (3)

About-turn in Turin
Laurent Blanc’s side did their bit, beating Juventus 2-0 while Bayern struggled to a 1-0 win at home against Haifa, thanks to a 62nd minute Ivica Olic strike. “You can see our team isn’t displaying the confidence it ought to,” noted president Uli Hoeneß. However, the result left Bayern’s chances of reaching the knock-out rounds in their own hands in the final group game against Juventus in Turin.

As the players travelled across the Alps at the beginning of December, they knew only a win would be good enough to progress. When David Trezéguet gave the home side the lead in the 19th minute, it seemed to be all over. But then Bayern began a startling resurrection – not only in this match but across the club’s season as a whole. When Olic won a penalty in the 30th minute, Jörg Butt nervelessly beat Gianluigi Buffon to level the scores.

In the second half it was one-way traffic as Bayern pressed the home side back into their own half, and further goals from Olic, Mario Gomez and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk sealed an incredible 4-1 victory. “It was a magical night,” enthused club chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as Bayern qualified for the round of 16 behind group winners Bordeaux.

Source: FC Bayern

Bayern’s road to the final in Madrid (2)

Double trouble against Bordeaux

But in the space of two weeks, Bayern’s solid start had been thrown into turmoil by back-to-back defeats at the hands of French champions Bordeaux. Munich were drawing 1-1 in Bordeaux when Müller received a second yellow card in the 30th minute, and they were reduced to nine men two minutes from the end when Van Buyten saw red as well. “That was not worthy of a top team,” captain Mark van Bommel said of his team’s listless display.

It was to get worse as, without the suspended Van Buyten and Müller, Bayern lost 2-0 to the same opponents two weeks later at the Allianz Arena. With just two group matches left Bayern were bottom of the table with four points, far behind Bordeaux with 10 and Juventus with eight. “We’re not finished, we still have some kind of chance,” Van Gaal said – but to progress his team also needed help from Bordeaux.

Source: FC Bayern