Klinsmann keen to shake up Bayern

Bigger waves
The newly appointed 43-year-old coach caused his share of ructions at Bayern as a player between 1995 and 1997, but is set to make even bigger waves as a coach as he looks to bring new ideas to the dressing room. The club will no longer prepare at a standard training facility but at the new Centre of Achievement which opened at Säbenerstrasse last month. "It's a fantastic centre, totally unique in the world of football," said Klinsmann. "Real Madrid [CF] don't have anything like it, nor do [FC] Barcelona. We are very proud of it."

Radical ideas
Klinsmann brought radical new ideas when he was appointed Germany coach in 2004, and while they were to spark plenty of conflict, few could deny the effectiveness of his campaign to alter the mentality of the national team as they claimed the bronze medals at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Now he hopes a two-pronged approach can lift Bayern to new heights. "There are two components necessary to advance: very intensive training on the pitch and helping the players develop as people off the pitch."

'Perfect oasis'
This latter aspect is much in evidence at the new centre, which houses a café, a library, an e-learning centre and a family room – containing DJ decks and computer consoles, which is open to players' partners and children – as well as the usual gymnasiums and weight rooms. "In this perfect oasis, the players can concentrate 100 per cent on their football," commented chairman of the Bayern board Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

International angle
Technology is also playing a major role. Klinsmann's policy of "making every player better every day" involves tests to analyse player performance which are used to generate individual training programmes which are displayed on a digital screen on each player's locker every morning. Moreover, a simultaneous translation system at the club's new cinema-like auditorium will allow the coach to get his tactical view across to his players, regardless of their native language.

One-touch football
Crucial to those tactics is Klinsmann's desire to get his team's energy levels up so they can "be up with the best of them right to the finish, even in the UEFA Champions League". What he ultimately wants is something like the one-touch football prevalent in the English Premier League. Whether the new facility can make that dream come true is open to question. As team manager Uli Hoeness said when discussing the new technological advancements in training: "None of this scores goals." However, if it wins titles few will be complaining.