Kevin Hatchard believes Bayern Munich have reached a point where their Champions League performance will ultimately determine how this season is judged.
The longtime Bundesliga journalist and broadcaster has covered German football extensively and regularly provides analysis on the league and its biggest clubs. In assessing Bayern Munich, Hatchard sees one player as particularly central to the club’s ambitions: Harry Kane.
“I think Bayern, whether fairly or not, will be defined by how far they’re getting
in the Champions League. I think that’s fair because of the team that they’ve developed and the squad they’ve put together. Harry Kane’s an integral figure and has been since he arrived. I think Bayern saw it as a real coup to bring the England captain in, and it’s not just his performances, it’s the way he carries himself, the way he’s been a leader, the way the young players are learning from him,” Hatchard told Casino Guru. “Lennart Karl’s talked about that, and the teenager, that he looks at Kane’s shooting technique, he looks at Kane’s diligence in training, and they’re great lessons to learn from. Bayern look as though they’re going to extend his contract by multiple years, and when you bear in mind his age, that’s unusual. You don’t often see Bayern do that, but they’re prepared to make an exception because it’s him.
“Even though he’s been linked with a return to Spurs, even though he was linked with Barcelona, they never seemed realistic options. It always seemed likely that he was going to sign that new contract.”
For Bayern Munich, that final point could be just as important as anything Kane produces on the pitch.
Since arriving from Tottenham, Kane has become far more than Bayern Munich’s primary goalscorer. He is a reference point for the attack, a leader in the dressing room and an example for the younger players coming through the squad.
Lennart Karl’s comments about studying Kane’s shooting and training habits illustrate that influence perfectly. That kind of mentorship is difficult to quantify, but it can have a lasting impact on a club. And now Bayern Munich appear prepared to build even further around him.
Before this turns into another post praising Kane’s worthiness of winning a Ballon d’Or, let’s hone in on something else Hatchard said — “I think Bayern, whether fairly or not, will be defined by how far they’re getting in the Champions League.”
Do you agree? Tell us in the comments!
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