11 Jan 2015
Doha, 11 January 2015. Bayern Munich's first team stars have stepped up their preparations for the second half of the season by taking part in a warm weather training camp at Aspire Academy in Doha. It is the fifth year in a row that the German giants have chosen to come to Qatar in winter and head coach Pep Guardiola hopes that his side can replicate their early season form when they return to Germany. “The conditions here are excellent and the players are very motivated,” Guardiola commentedat the start of the training camp. So far his team has won 14 out of a possible 17 league games and remain unbeaten in the Bundesliga this season. “The Bundesliga is the most important title.
Winning the Champions League is very much about the form you have on that day. That’s what’s most important about this competition.” For the Spanish tactician playing football is not just about winning, it’s also about the way you win games. “If you win a game you are happy for a day or two. But if you play well you know that you are coming closer to achieving your big goals. My job and my goal is to make the team play better every day.” Having played in the “Qatar Stars League” for Al-Ahli at the end of his successful career as a footballer, he has been following the development of football in Qatar and he knows about the work of Aspire Academy. “The infrastructure of the Academy is amazing but it always depends on the peopleandwhat they make of it. And it’s not just about developing football players it’s about educating young people, giving them values and knowledge.
If all that happens properly, the Academy has the potential to create something special.” In their eight-day-long training camp, Bayern will take on a Qatar Stars League XI on January 13 and Al-Hilal on January 17 during their time in Asia before facing VfL Bochum in a friendly match ahead of their next Bundesliga fixture on January 30.