Bayern Munich are aiming to win the Champions League at Wembley for a second time this year – their first triumph in 2013 was motivated by heartbreak, according to Bastian Schweinsteiger.
The legendary former Germany midfielder suffered defeat in both of his first two Champions League finals, firstly against Jose Mourinho’s Inter in 2010, then against Chelsea in 2012.
Speaking in an exclusive interview for the new issue of FourFourTwo magazine, Schweinsteiger revealed that the Chelsea loss was the most painful moment of his career – weeks earlier, he’d scored the winning spot kick in the semi-final penalty shoot-out against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, to take Bayern into the final in their home stadium, the Allianz Arena.
The Bundesliga giants went into the final as favourites against Chelsea, then took the lead late on through Thomas Muller, only for Didier Drogba to level with two minutes left.
Petr Cech then saved Arjen Robben’s penalty in extra time, before denying Ivica Olic and Schweinsteiger in the shoot-out, to make the Blues European champions for the first time.
“You always think about the game that still hurts you, and that’s the one,” Schweinsteiger said. “Our club president, Uli Hoeness, said it was the biggest match in his life, so it was painful being one of the guys who missed a penalty.
“We had a problem – we didn’t have a lot of players able to take the penalties, which is why Manuel Neuer was our third taker. I was ready for it. Of course you’re tired, but that’s not an excuse.
“Petr Cech analysed my penalties very well, though, and saved it – if he hadn’t touched the ball with his fingers, it would have gone in, not hit the post.
“You need to accept when someone is better than you, and in that case it wasn’t Chelsea, but Petr Cech.”
But Schweinsteiger and Bayern used that hurt to drive them for the following campaign, which ended with them winning the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and the Champions League – defeating Borussia Dortmund at Wembley in the final.
“It started in pre-season,” Schweinsteiger remembered. “We came back and saw all the faces again – the same faces we saw after the final against Chelsea, crying in the shower.
“Then our coach, Jupp Heynckes, gave a great speech that motivated all of us. That season, we trained with an intensity that I’d never seen before. Whenever the Champions League anthem started, we had fire in our eyes.
“That season was unbelievable, and not only in the Champions League. It was Bayern Munich’s best year, I’d say.”
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