Bundesliga: Klinsmann backs Bayern to bounce back
Bayern Munich will bounce back from a rough first season under coach Julian Nagelsmann with a world-class squad, even if top scorer Robert Lewandowski leaves the club, former Bayern player and coach Jurgen Klinsmann said on Thursday.
Bayern suffered a shock Champions League quarterfinal exit to underdogs Villarreal last week and were also eliminated from the German Cup in the second round, with the only silverware left on offer for them being the league.
The 34-year-old Nagelsmann joined last year following a successful spell at RB Leipzig.
Bayern can win their 10th straight Bundesliga title with victory over second-placed Dortmund in Munich on Saturday, with the Bavarians nine points clear with four games remaining.
“I am convinced they will do that in the Klassiker,” said Klinsmann, who last coached in the Bundesliga in 2020 with Hertha Berlin.
“It has been a rough season for Julian but still a season where he learned a lot. The learning curve is huge.”
The six-time European champions will easily bounce back next season, he said, because the team does not need major additions to remain competitive in Europe.
“What Bayern did well is strategically they formed the roster looking into the next three to five years. They have most of the pieces together. It’s a very stable and high-quality roster,” added Klinsmann.
There is mounting speculation over the future of Lewandowski, the league’s second all-time scorer, with a contract extension past 2023 still in the air.
“The big question mark from a fan perspective is Robert Lewandowski and his future. I believe he will stay. But the skeleton is very, very strong. If you want to add a piece or two, the club can do it,” Klinsmann said in a virtual video call with reporters.
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The German champions are financially healthy, having no debt but have stayed away from record transfer fees paid by other clubs in England, France or Spain.
“If you have a good focus on your core… there is no problem at all by not spending crazy amounts of money for one or two super-special players,” Klinsmann said.
“If they all play to the best of their capabilities, the starting 11 and the bench, then there is no additional piece urgently needed.”