Bayern eye historic hat-trick

Jun 01, 2013 |

Berlin

Champions League winners Bayern Munich are aiming to complete a historic treble in Saturday’s German Cup final against VfB Stuttgart but the Bavarians are smarting at the enforced absence of centre-back Dante for the Berlin showdown.
Bayern have been told by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) that Dante, as well as defensive midfielder Luiz Gustavo, must report for international duty before Saturday’s deadline as Brazil prepare to host the Confederations Cup from June 15-30.
Both players are upset at missing the final, and Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has branded CBF’s standpoint as “inhuman, ruthless, unfair and unacceptable”, but only Dante would have started in Berlin.
No German team has won the treble of European Cup, domestic league and cup titles before, and Bayern are bidding to become only the seventh side in Europe to achieve the feat.
Only Celtic in 1967, Ajax in 1972, PSV Eindhoven in 1988, Manchester United in 1999, Barcelona in 2009 and Inter Milan in 2010 have previously achieved the feat.
Should they write their names into the history books, it will be a fitting tribute to the Bayern team which won this season’s Bundesliga title by breaking or equalling 25 league records.
Having won the league title at the start of April, then beaten Borussia Dortmund 2-1 at Wembley last Saturday to claim the European crown, vice-captain Bastian Schweinsteiger has said it is “very, very important” to complete the set.
“The team is very eager to win the cup,” said Schweinsteiger. “Of course, it was something special to win at Wembley, but the concentration on Berlin is raising day by day.” Schweinsteiger can equal Oliver Kahn’s record of six cup triumphs if Bayern lift the trophy for the 16th time.

Sammer urges team to grasp history
Bayern Munich’s sporting director Matthias Sammer has told the Champions League winners to write themselves into the history books in Saturday’s final.
“This is a historic opportunity and we have to grasp it,” said Sammer. “This is much, much more than just a final.”
With a capacity crowd of 74,244 expected at Olympic Stadium, the European champions start as overwhelming favourites against Stuttgart, whom they have already beaten 6-1 at home and 2-0 away in the league this season.
“We have a huge chance of doing something which has never been done before,” said Bayern captain Philipp Lahm.

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