Karl-Heinz Rummenigge criticizes Bayern Munich’s “carelessness” in banquet speech after 3-2 win in Greece

Bayern Munich made it three wins out of three in the Champions League with their 3-2 victory of Olympiacos in Greece, but the performance was not totally convincing. A brace from goal-machine Robert Lewandowski and a goal from Corentin Tolisso were enough to seal the three points for Niko Kovac’s side, but club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is still concerned that the squad is falling short of its potential.

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After the match, Rummenigge addressed the squad at the team’s hotel in Athens, calling for the players to improve their collective performance moving forward (Bild). Although Bayern has a perfect record in the Champions League, the win over Olympiacos highlighted problems, as Rummenigge emphasized:

Right at the start, the positive: that’s the three points we got. With that, we now have nine points and looking at the table we can look optimistically to the future that we can at least reach the first step that we set ourselves, qualification for the round of sixteen. We’re here in Greece: that’s where the Marathon was invented. This evening was a little bit like a marathon with hurdles that we had on the pitch.

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If Bayern put forth the same performance that they did against Olympiacos, Rummenigge feels that they will continue to drop points domestically against teams in the lower half of the Bundesliga table. There’s too much carelessness in their play, he stressed:

I think, in this win, which was undoubtedly important with respect to the situation in the table, we also have to be a little critical of ourselves. I don’t think that the performance that we delivered this evening will give us great successes at the end of the day this year, unless we slowly get our act together. We’re playing, in my view, a little too carelessly. I think we criticized converting chances on Saturday. That was good this evening. We scored three goals. Despite that, you have to say one thing: I think we now have for the sixth or seventh time conceded two goals yet again. We’re playing a little too carelessly there. And that will eventually lead to problems.

Ahead of Union Berlin’s weekend visit to the Allianz Arena, Rummenigge called for the players to remain fully focused and motivated. After the Berlin match, the majority of Bayern’s run of fixtures in the Bundesliga come against sides in the upper half of the table to sound out the Hinrunde:

I would like to recall that in the last few games we have dropped important points particularly against opponents from the bottom third of the table. On Saturday, we’ll again have a team in Union Berlin that will be fighting to avoid relegation this year. I would like to urge everyone to go out onto the pitch with the greatest concentration and also motivation, so that we win the three points.

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If one looks at the Bundesliga table, results have been very unpredictable in the upper half. Rummenigge feels that Bayern is somewhat fortuitous to only find themselves one point shy of the top spot (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 16 points):

It is our great good fortunte that we still are only one point behind the top of the table during this weak spell. On Saturday, we will perhaps have the chance to top the table. That is Bayern Munich’s ambition. And I believe we must achieve it.