16 FC Bayern players are at the World Cup in Qatar. Three of them are in the final – and have to endure the feeling of defeat. The 13 others are not doing any better, they retire far too early or are even seriously injured. A lot of pastoral care is required at the Bundesliga club.
Oliver Kahn was all Oliver Kahn. No sooner had Kingsley Coman lost his nerve in the penalty shoot-out than he and Dayot Upamecano had left the field as losers at this World Cup when the FC Bayern club boss tweeted encouraging words. Under the tags “
However: not only the French should or have to get up and continue, not only Coman, Upamecano, Benjamin Pavard, who was demoted to permanent reserves, and the seriously injured Lucas Hernandez. 16 FC Bayern players flew to Qatar as confident winter champions, including the seven Germans – but with the exception of Josip Stanisic, who won the game for third place with Croatia, they will appear disappointed at the start of training on January 3rd.
Above all, coach Julian Nagelsmann will have to become a pastor. And that too at the place of disappointment: On January 6, FC Bayern flies to the training camp – to Qatar. Three players will be missing there anyway: Manuel Neuer will be out for at least six months after his skiing accident, the same applies to Hernandez, who suffered a cruciate ligament rupture in the World Cup game against Australia on November 22nd. Sadio Mané will probably have to pause until the beginning of March.
Construction work is required. At Coman, who was racially insulted on his Instagram account after his missed penalty. But above all with the six German national players, who should now concentrate on day-to-day business again after Neuer’s absence. To the Bundesliga, and especially to the Champions League, where the round of 16 first leg at Paris St. Germain is scheduled for February 14 – with world champion Lionel Messi.
Many souls are wounded. Joshua Kimmich, for example, said after the failure of the DFB selection: “I’m afraid of falling into a hole.” In addition to Stanisic, Noussair Mazraoui can return to Munich with a good feeling after the fairytale march of the Moroccans to the game for third place, otherwise this World Cup could not have gone worse for FC Bayern: injured and disappointed – Nagelsmann and his bosses are waiting a lot of work.
It doesn’t help much that President Herbert Hainer said that “at least one FC Bayern player has always reached the World Cup final” since 1982: “That speaks for our club”. At the moment there is little to say about the mental well-being of the Munich squad, even if Hainer found words of praise and consolation after the final. “We’re looking forward to the return of our vice world champions,” he said, “they played a strong tournament.” But now the following applies: keep going, keep going. “In 2023,” added the President, “the motto will be ‘Allez les Rouges!’ with renewed vigour.” If only it were that easy.