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As reported in the Abendzeitung, Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm answered some questions, while being presented as a new partner for a small Bavarian sports care products company at this year's ISPO. Here is the translated transcript of some of the answers (with my interjections in italics):
On wanting to be close to his Heimat (loosely translated as where you are from and/or where you feel at home) - I left FC Bayern with a heavy heart once, to go to Stuttgart for two years (Lahm was loaned to VfB Stuttgart from 2003 to 2005, to allow him to get playing time early in his career). It's really not that far. but I just like being at home.
On his return from his injury - In a week, or 10 days, I want to start running, and I think I can get back into team training in about four weeks (beginning of March).
On his future after his active playing career - At the moment, I can't imagine being a coach. But I can imagine staying in football for the rest of my life. Preferably at FC Bayern. FC Bayern is my Heimatverein (home club).
On Pep's antics at the Schalke game, where the coach sprinted to the corner flag to talk to the assistant referee, and later hugged the fourth official after Robben's goal - You don't see that very often. It was something new for me. But, everyone who has worked with this coach, knows how emotional he is, how nicely he interacts with people. I don't think there was a single bad word said. He's there for his team. He loves this sport. And you can see that on the sideline.
On whether he was surprised by Pep's sprint to the corner flag - I've never seen a sprint like that from him. But he's still got skills. When he joins practice, he's still strong on the ball.
On his communication with Pep - We regularly exchange ideas. I'm at the Säbener Straße every day, I'm in touch with the players, and the coach. The only problem is: I can't join them on the field.
On FC Bayern's current problems - In the first game against Wolfsburg, we just didn't perform. The opponent ruthlessly took advantage of it, and that's how you lose a game. Against Schalke, we had to play with 10 players for 70 minutes. That's a long time. You just have to live with getting one point.
On vulnerable defense - We didn't look good overall in the first game. Not just the defense. You have to analyze that, and we did. Now we need to do better in the next games. A goal on a setpiece can happen, it happens to every club, FC Bayern too.
On the high defensive line - We have a structure, a tactic, that's maybe a little offensive, but it works very well. But it takes every single one of us. And if one of us is a split second late, we can get burned. It happens, but that's our playing style. We've been doing this for a year and a half, and now we had a setback.
On the lack of a consistent presence in the defense - Jerome [Boateng] was usually the consistent presence, who almost always played. But now he's out. But, we're pros, we train together every day, therefore it won't be a problem. There is never going to be - even at FC Bayern - a formation that will play from beginning to end. We have so many games, there are so many changes. Everybody has to know what's going on, but that's not a problem for us.
On the game against Stuttgart - Finally, after a week, we will have the first win. When you're FC Bayern, you always come in as the favorite. That's the way it is for us on Saturday. Three points is all that counts.
On Borussia Dortmund's crisis - You notice it. I already said before the start of the Rückrunde, that I believe that they will get out of the bottom of the standings. It's not easy, because every game against them is hard-fought. I will definitely be looking at the result of Freiburg against Dortmund. But I'm not worried.
So, there you have it: Philipp Lahm will be at FC Bayern for the rest of his life, unless someone in Bayern's management loses their mind, and doesn't immediately offer him a job on the day Lahm retires from active duty (and preferably well before he's done playing).