Mats Hummels talks Lewandowski, Kovac, and his thoughts on moving abroad

Bayern Munich defender took some time to sit down with SportBild and talked over a number of topics including the ongoing Robert Lewandowski transfer drama, his lack of interest in going abroad, and how the veteran core will respond to new Bayern manager Niko Kovac.

Hummels, who had a training blow up with Lewandowski earlier this year, downplayed the situation with Lewandowski as a matter that is best left handled for Die Roten’s front office.

I don’t see any major drama in the subject: if the bosses say he’s staying, he’s staying. If the bosses say he wants a new “challenge,” and we’ll grant him that, then we’ll see what happens.

In perhaps the most interesting part of the piece, when asked about the desire of teammates like Jerome Boateng and David Alaba to possibly move abroad (for Boateng, it would be a return abroad), Hummels talked through a moment earlier in his career when he considered leaving the friendly confines of Germany and the Bundesliga.

I had these thoughts—was deep in talks with Manchester United in 2015 among other things. I was on the brink of going abroad. There were various possibilities in 2016, as well. It wouldn’t be right to say that I haven’t given it any thought. It was quite interesting. But we just never came to terms. But I’m also not dead set on going abroad either.

With a veteran and highly successful core of players on the Bayern roster, Hummels is not worried about Kovac’s ability to win over the locker room.

I can only speak for myself, but I must say: 0.0% A coach is always my boss, no matter how good or bad the relationship is. My relationship with Jürgen Klopp was incredibly cordial, but he was my boss. When he became our coach in Dortmund, no one ever talked about the fact he had never won any titles before, let alone had not even managed a game in the top league.

Hummels also believes that the the other team leaders are on the same page with respecting the new man in charge.

It’s no different with the boys, like Thomas Müller or Manuel Neuer. Thomas won’t go up to Niko Kovac and tell him, “Look here, I’ve won the championship seven times; I know better than you.” The coach is the boss of a team.

Hummels can only praise his future coach,

When I see what Niko Kovac accomplished at Eintracht Frankfurt with—at least judging from the outside—difficult circumstances. That’s why I think that it will be the same way with us.