Rummenigge eyes historic treble for Bayern
Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said Bayern Munich are bidding for a historic treble of titles after their 2-0 win over Marseille saw them cruise into the Champions League semi-finals.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: April 04, 2012 04:22 pm IST
Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said Bayern Munich are bidding for a historic treble of titles after their 2-0 win over Marseille saw them cruise into the Champions League semi-finals.
Croatia striker Ivica Olic netted both Bayern's goals in the first-half to seal a 4-0 quarter-final win on aggregate on Tuesday.
Munich's Allianz Arena will host the final on May 19 with Bayern in contention for the treble as they face champions Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup final on May 12 and are currently just three points behind them in the Bundesliga.
"We are still in all three competitions and in good shape," said Rummenigge.
"We take all three competitions seriously, but we continue to think from game to game, starting with the home Bundesliga game against Augsburg on Saturday."
Bayern have never won the treble of European, German league and cup titles in a single season and are bidding to win the Champions League trophy for the second time and their fifth European crown overall.
Not even their great side of the 70s which won the European Cup for three years running between 1974-76 managed the treble.
However, their likely semi-final opponents in the first leg on April 17 are Spanish giants Real Madrid while holders Barcelona are already into the other semi-final.
Coach Jupp Heynckes said he was just relieved to be in the last four having started with stars Arjen Robben and Mario Gomez - the goal-scorers from the first-leg - on the bench and Bastian Schweinsteiger suspended.
"That is a big success for us, (goalkeeper) Manuel Neuer did well for us at the start with two good saves before we took the lead," he said.
Heynckes singled-out Olic, who not for the first time in their Champions League campaigns provied the vital goals. Two years ago his hat-trick in Lyon put Bayern through to the final, where they lost 2-0 to Inter Milan.
"I am pleased for Ivica Olic, especially as he scored the two goals, he has worked very hard," said Heynckes.
"We are playing every three days and I needed to use the squad to spare some of our players.
"We used several players who haven't played so much this season and it was a positive aspect that they came in and did well.
"The team were smart, David Alaba's yellow card (in the 64th minute) was a pity, but he can still play in the semi-final."
Bayern will need to tread carefully from now on with midfielders Toni Kroos, Luiz Gustavo, Thomas Mueller, plus defenders Alaba and Jerome Boateng all on two yellow cards and a third would see them suspended.
Having lost the first leg 2-0 in Marseille last Wednesday, the visitors were always facing an uphill task to win in Munich.
"At half time, I didn't ask my players to score four goals," said Marseille coach Didier Deschamps.
"We had to show honour and pride in the last 45 minutes. Of course we tried to score, but we had to stop them playing too."