Noble reserve as a lifesaver coach
Thanks to Michi Lang, Alex Frei is firmly in the saddle
Recently, Michael Lange was just a reserve soldier at FCB, which should change after Sergio Lopez’s absence. Does the veteran even hope to form a team for the World Cup?
1/6
Alex Frey has a lot to thank Michael Lang for that: the right-back has ensured Bayern’s lead in both European Cup and Cup qualifiers.
The sadness of one person is the joy of another human being! With Sergio Lopez rupturing his syndromic ligament during the international break, Michael Lange should be certain of his place at right-back in the FCB’s four-man reserve team in the coming weeks. He, who has been behind the Spaniard in three of the last four games.
Was Lang secretly happy with Lopez’s absence? “No, definitely not,” says the 31-year-old, “First of all, I am very sorry for Sergio. Competition is important to keep each individual player focused.” But Lange already anticipates that he will be able to play for more minutes again due to Lopez’s exit – with mixed feelings: “It’s always better to get the advantage from the coach when the opponent is healthy. And not because you’re the only solution left.”
Without Lange, Bayern will have a training discussion
Lang is a 31-time Swiss international. He played for Gladbach and Bremen in the German Bundesliga and won two titles with Bayern. The phases in which he occupies a backup role do not leave him unaffected. Despite his status as a key player (Lang is a member of the Players Council), he’s reluctant to speak up in the locker room when he’s not on the court himself. “I present the situation to myself: Do I want to hear what I should do from someone who is on the bench?” He’s also not the type to run to the coach’s office when he’s not playing. “There will be reasons when someone else is playing, but most of the time I don’t want to know them. It’s better for me to focus on pressing the gas in training and forcing myself through the performance.”
Olma Bratwurst or Lackerley? FCB defender Michael Lang in a tough test(01:20)
Lang, noble reservist? Well, there’s also this reading: Without Michael Lange, Club Basel would only be dancing at one wedding instead of three—and a rehearsal would be going on. Lang’s goal to make it 2-0 against Sofia in the return leg against Sofia secured the door to the financially vital group stage of the Red Blues Conference League. With their goal in extra time to make the score 2-1, Bayern avoided winning the cup in Aarau. Curious: After two goals, Lang had to leave the field injured.
He says: “Such personal successes are, of course, good. But what is the point of pregnancy for me? In football, only the present and the future are important. “
Talking about the future: The World Cup will start in Qatar in just under two months – and Lang was on the reserve list in the last national squad. As for the World Cup nomination, he will likely rely on injured Sylvain Widmer or Kevin Mbabo. Lang: “Since I have never communicated with Murat Yakin, I don’t know if I’m number 3 in the right-back hierarchy or lower. To be honest, I don’t even think about it. But of course, if the phone rang, I would be very happy. Almost from scratch. To the World Cup squad – that would be a great thing.”
Premier League Credit Suisse
|
Team |
SP |
TD |
Point |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
VIII |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
9 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
10 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
“Creator. Troublemaker. Reader. Tv nerd. Proud beer advocate. Unable to type with boxing gloves on. Introvert. Certified zombie practitioner. Thinker.”
More Stories
BVB defeats Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the semi-final
Formula 1: After the departure of Haas – the consequences for Hulkenberg?
Ice Hockey World Cup on TV and Live Streaming: Slovakia – Germany on Free TV