Max Eberl in @11Freunde_de interview

• There have been plenty of issues to address since you joined FC Bayern in March 2024. After taking over, the search for a new coach was initially complicated. Several top transfers fell through this summer..

Eberl: "Your impression is related to the fact that many names were circulating but were never a topic of discussion for us. In general, I've noticed that transfer topics are treated with a lot of excitement in public these days. Some people automatically consider someone who can dribble or score a lot of goals a candidate for Bayern. Less visible factors such as running stats or injury record are almost never mentioned in the media." • In other words: Did everything go well?

Eberl: "Of course it was an intense phase, because we started the season with three injured starters, and Kingsley Coman expressed his desire to move to Saudi Arabia right at the end. But as a club, we had a clear plan for how to strengthen our squad, and we implemented it. Even before the Club World Cup, we signed Tom Bischof and Jonathan Tah on free transfers. Luis Díaz joined us in mid-July. That's why all the fuss you're referring to never bothered me."

Joshua Kimmich in @WELTAMSONNTAG interview

• Toni Kroos came back to the national team shortly before the Euros and gave the team stability with his experience and quality. There has been a lot of speculation recently about a Manuel Neuer comeback. Could he give the team what Kroos did?

Kimmich: "Manu can lead any team. He's been the best goalkeeper in the world for 20 years. Ultimately, it was his decision to retire, and we all have to respect his decision. Overall, we're very well equipped in the goalkeeping position; Oliver Baumann has been excellent in recent games."

[@lars_garten, @cfbayern, @altobelli13] • Who could form the spine of the national team besides you when everyone is fit?

Kimmich: "We have players we can rely on and who can form a stable core. Nico Schlotterbeck and Aleks Pavlović are back in the team for now. And a few more are coming, like Marc-André ter Stegen, Jamal Musiala, and Kai Havertz. And we have several players in the squad who are, or were until recently, captains of their clubs. I have big confidence in the team"

Tom Bischof in @ransport interview

• Your move to FC Bayern was a very conscious decision. You knew the competition would be tough. Why did you choose this tough path?

Bischof: "I'm a guy who likes challenges. And I've often said that the identity of FC Bayern suits me. I'm a winner. When you go to the training ground, you just notice that the guys want to win; they fight for every ball. All of that suits me, and I'm keen to establish myself" • That almost sounds like a "Kimmich mentality." Is he one of your mentors at the club?

Bischof : "Of course, I also learn from Jo, because he's one of the best in his position. But I could name so many. Jonathan Tah, Leon Goretzka, Aleks Pavlović, Serge Gnabry, Harry Kane, Michael Olise – they all keep an eye on me, support me, and give me tips. That gives me a lot of confidence on the pitch."

Dayot Upamecano in @le_Parisien interview

• Does being coached at Bayern by a former great defender like Vincent Kompany help you?

Upamecano: "We all watched him when we were young; he was a legend for Belgium and Manchester City. He was a very aggressive defender in duels, a leader on the pitch too, a good role model for me. He's helping me a lot; we do a lot of video sessions, he talks to me about my positioning. Things are always very intense with him"

[@B_Quarez] • When you joined the national team, you experienced some difficulties. What was the trigger for you to become the defensive leader today?

Upamecano: "Some need more time than others. That was the case for me, until the day I got it into my head that if I can do it at Bayern, I can do it for the French team. I feel like I'm improving every year. And since I'm a competitor, I like competition. Ibou (Konaté) pushes me to give the best of myself. The same goes for Saliba and Pavard"

CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen in @WELTAMSONNTAG interview

• Florian Wirtz went to Liverpool, Nick Woltemade to Newcastle United. Are FC Bayern no longer getting the players they want?

Dreesen: "That's an exaggerated statement, and in my opinion, it's not true. FC Bayern remains one of the most attractive clubs in the world. Both of them moved to the Premier League – but at the same time, we also signed two players from England, Luis Díaz and Nicolas Jackson. And let me remind you that we signed Harry Kane two years ago"

[@julienwolffwelt, @BerriesBossmann] • Nevertheless, many people think that the Bundesliga is now just a development league.

Dreesen: "It's not. Only the Premier League can currently afford the very high transfer fees. The higher salaries and agent fees are an even bigger problem. With Woltemade, we had set ourselves a financial limit. We would have liked to sign Nick. Our €55million was an outstanding offer. Stuttgart said at the time that Woltemade would not be sold – no matter how much money was involved. Apparently, they changed their minds afterwards. However, in the debate about the so-called development league, one aspect seems to be overlooked.

• Which aspect?

Dreesen: "The record of English clubs in the Champions League and Europa League. In the past four years, they have won two out of a possible 8 titles. If all other leagues were merely development leagues, why doesn't a Premier League club win at least one of these titles every year?"

Tom Bischof in interview with the club's magazine #Säbener51

• Tom, tell us about the feeling of wearing the Bayern Munich shirt.

Bischof: "We actually have to go way back to my childhood so you understand what this shirt really means to me. As a little boy, I slept for years under a Bayern Munich painting. It was huge. I'd guess it was three meters high and two and a half meters wide. I got it as a gift when I started school. My father is a huge Bayern fan, and he asked a friend who was a painter to draw it in my bedroom: me in the shirt of Amorbach, my hometown team at the time, doing an overhead kick – and above me, in huge letters, the Bayern Munich logo. My father also signed me up for the fan club very early on. So I fell asleep and woke up under the logo a few thousand times. I must have had 30 Bayern Munich shirts." • Which players' names were on the back?

Bischof: "I often had the number 10 on it, like Arjen Robben's. And also shirts of Schweinsteiger, Neuer, Ribéry. A lot of them. I wasn't just fixated on one player. I liked the club with its stars and these special players. Sandro Wagner even gave me the shirt he wore in his last Bayern game. That was in Frankfurt, and I was in the stadium back then"

Serge Gnabry in @SkySportDE interview

• On a possible contract extension: "I'm not thinking about that at all right now. I'm very relaxed. I'm just happy that things are going so well, that we're playing so well. We'll see about everything else when the time comes."

[@kerry_hau] Gnabry on his good start to the season and whether he has changed anything: "I haven't done anything different. Things are going well right now; we're playing well, we're working well together. I think we've really gelled as a team after such a short preseason, including with the new players. And things are working out right now. I haven't changed anything. I think I'm really enjoying the game, especially playing centrally. There's bit more space, more freedom, and it's just working out right now."

Vincent Kompany in @SkySportDE interview

• On possible Ballon d'Or candidates from Bayern in the future: "You also have to have a bit of luck that everyone stays fit. Jamal Musiala, for example, is a big name, not just for FC Bayern, but also for Germany. He would be a candidate, but unfortunately, he can't play at the moment due to his injury. If we look at the performances of Harry Kane or Michael Olise , then you can imagine them having a chance in the future. Perhaps there will be a surprise name. It's simply about consistency over twelve months at the club, and then there's the national team. It's quite possible that one of us will soon be at the forefront."

[@kerry_hau] Kompany on Ousmane Dembélé's Ballon d'Or win: "Nobody really had PSG on their radar at the start of last season. But they've grown stronger and stronger. Dembélé is one of their best players. It's no surprise to me that a PSG player won the Ballon d'Or. Congratulations! The new season has already begun."

Herbert Hainer in @tzmuenchen interview

On the start of the new UCL season and the new format: "I'm very much looking forward to it, also because the new format is very exciting. Just remember the last matchday of the group stage [last season], how the table went up and down. Thanks to this reform, we're already seeing more games between Europe's top teams in the league phase than before. Last season, for example, we had to face the eventual Champions League winners PSG early on – we were the only team to beat PSG in the competition at the time."

[@mano_bonke, @kessler_philipp] Hainer on Bayern's chances in the Champions League this season: "The attack that we have – you don't find that everywhere in Europe: Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Luis Díaz, plus Serge Gnabry and, after his return, Jamal too – when they start to get going... But to win the Champions League, at the end of the day you also need that bit of luck"

Nicolas Jackson in interview with @tuttosport

• Nico, in terms of emotion, how was your last weekend?

Jackson: "Very strong emotions, but not for the reasons you might think. I was simply very happy to sign for one of the biggest clubs in the world, to discover another league and other great players. At the same time, I was a bit sad to leave Chelsea , my teammates, and the fans. I experienced so many strong emotions there: we won the Conference League and the Club World Cup. Now I'm 100% focused on my new project and I can't wait to experience the incredible atmosphere at the Allianz Arena" • Talk to us about all the back and forth that happened on the last two days of the window..

Jackson: "Honestly, my agents and I were very confident. I never doubted that I would sign with Bayern, so I took the situation 'philosophically'. I'm in good health, as are my loved ones, and I'm lucky enough to be a professional footballer. Nothing else matters. That's how I thought of it"

Jamal Musiala in @SPORTBILD interview: "My foot is doing well, the recovery process is going according to plan. I no longer need crutches. But I don't want to rush anything; I want to take the time I need. Mentally, the first few weeks weren't easy for me. But nothing will change if I'm constantly annoyed by the situation. I want to focus on other things now, take the time for things I don't normally have. Then the time will pass more quickly until I'm back on the pitch" [@altobelli13] • What annoys you the most at the moment?

Musiala: "Not being on the pitch hurts, watching the Bundesliga opener from the stands. I already know: When I can play again, I'll do what I love. That gives me motivation and joy for my rehab. I see my teammates every day; they visit me in the rehab area. I see it this way: It's better to be out at the beginning of a season than at the end. I want to be 100% there in the important games."

Luis Díaz in interview with @Bundesliga_EN ahead of tomorrow's league opener

"What attracted me was Bayern’s expectations, because it’s no secret that they're a very big club. I already knew a lot about what Bayern are about. They came for me, they believed in me. That was a really important point in choosing them and joining.

"It’s a club with a huge amount of history, a club that’s won everything at international level. It’s a very big challenge for me to be part of such a big club. I’m going to try and give my all to keep making history, keep winning titles, to win important things

That’s always what people remember, what stays in the memories of us footballers. I’m very happy to be part of this great club. Hopefully we'll keep going like this. We’ve started really well. We’re going to try and keep working as we are to have a great start to the season." • What’s been your perception of the Bundesliga so far?

Díaz: "I already knew a lot about the Bundesliga. I always try to watch lots of football. It’s a league I’ve watched. It’s a league that promises a lot. I realised in my first match that it’s really intense. It’s unbelievable from a physical perspective. You’ve always got to be at it, always in position to score, to attack well. It’s very physically demanding.

"And it also helps a lot tactically. In this team now, I’m trying to score goals in a different way than I used to. I’m going to learn a lot. That’s the little bit I’ve got to know of the Bundesliga, what I’m going to know more about in the future. Hopefully we'll get off to a good start."

Jamal Musiala in interview with @GQ_Germany: "Injuries are inevitable in a career. But I also see them as an opportunity to get to know my body better and gain experience. It's about using setbacks to come back stronger." • Your immediate future now lies with FC Bayern. How important is stability and security to you?

Musiala: "The trust the club has placed in me is obviously a good thing. I now have to repay it with my performance. Otherwise, I'm not someone who plans ahead. I'm trying to focus on the next tasks now - the season ahead."

Jonathan Tah in interview with the club's magazine #Säbener51

• Before you moved to Munich, you said you wanted to step out of your comfort zone – How 'uncomfortable' is FC Bayern?

Tah: "[laughs] It doesn't feel uncomfortable. But it was a step out of my comfort zone for me. I had a great time in Leverkusen for ten years, the club and I developed further, and now I felt it was time for me to get to know a completely new environment. I'm grateful to Leverkusen for the time we spent together – but I think it's also important to question yourself every now and then and consider: What can I do to take another step, to grow – as a person, but also as a footballer. That's why I made this decision" • Now everyone expects you to be a leading player right away. How do you deal with this pressure?

Tah: "First of all, it's an honor for me to be seen that way from the outside, to be able to take on such a role at FC Bayern. I want to take on responsibility here. That's the expectation the club has of me, and that the team probably has of me too, but above all, it's the expectation I have of myself. Nevertheless, you always have to earn a role like that first. You don't just come in and say, "Here I am, I'm taking on responsibility now." - You have to perform, and then it will come with time, with games, with lots of training sessions – both on and off the pitch."

President Herbert Hainer in @SPORTBILD interview

On Musiala's injury and whether it changes the transfer plans: "It was a very bitter day of course for Jamal and for all of us. He had just come back from injury and now he will be out for another long period. We'll support him on the way to recovery with everything he needs. Regarding transfers, our sporting management has clear goals on how to strengthen our squad. We're following these plans resolutely" • Is it possible to rethink Thomas Müller's case after Musiala's injury?

Hainer: "Thomas said goodbye to the team after the game against Paris"

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in @WELTAMSONNTAG Interview: "The big problem in top-level European football isn't transfer fees. Perhaps not everyone has yet recognized the real problem. It's the high salaries. If you pay 100 million for Harry Kane, that's a lot of money. But the club amortizes that over five years, so it's 20 million per year on the balance sheet. The big problem is the high salaries. FC Bayern are feeling that too. When it comes to our players' salaries, we have been somewhat generous – and we have to say that self-critically"

[@julienwolffwelt] Rummenigge: "Players base their value on their salary. The appreciation often mentioned by players is actually the financial significance that many associate with it. We have to be incredibly careful not to get into a spiral with the salary structure that then becomes difficult to control. Paris St. Germain have solved that in an exemplary way over the past 24 months. They brought in a coach who, from the very beginning, said something like: "I don't need superstars who just make my dressing room dizzy." - Our payroll is at a level that also means there's a lot of talk about money. As we can see at PSG, you can also achieve big success by changing the system."

Harry Kane: "I'm really excited to be flying to the US and starting the Club World Cup. The Club World Cup will be held in a new format, with the best teams in the world competing against each other in a major tournament. I'm happy to be a part of it because it's an exciting opportunity" [@adriankuehnel] Kane: "The game against Boca, in particular, will be a great match because I expect a great atmosphere in Miami; a lot of their fans will be there. Overall, we expect some tough matches. Auckland is still an unknown opponent, and of course, we'll be the favourites on paper. But we know every team in this competition is strong. We have to prepare well, as we do for every game. For me as a player, it's a great experience to play against teams from different countries around the world."

Joshua Kimmich in @kicker interview ahead of his 100th Germany cap on Wednesday: "100 international matches – that's obviously an official milestone and very special for me personally. Especially when you look back at my beginnings. It's something I'm really proud of, and I think I have every right to be. Because these 100 international matches show that I've been playing at a consistently high level over the past nine years and have always been healthy and fit." [@FrankLinkesch] • What were the most defining moments in your international career?

Kimmich: "There were many, especially in the early stages. We were very successful back then, at EURO 2016 and then winning the Confederations Cup the following year. The period after that was, of course, negative, starting with the 2018 World Cup until March of last year. Those six years were rather mediocre, actually worse than mediocre"

Joshua Kimmich in @SZ interview

• What do you say about the fact that the FC Bayern coaching staff celebrates you as the best #6 in the world?

Kimmich: "Great coaching staff! But jokes aside, I really feel a lot of trust. Vincent Kompany told me in our first conversation that he sees me as a central player in the defensive midfield position. "If you're the best, you'll play there," he said. Of course, I had to prove his trust with my performances" • Although you're an extremely important player for Vincent Kompany, he's never intervened in the public debate about your future. He could have used a press conference to say, "Kimmich has to stay, I absolutely need him." But he didn't.

Kimmich: "I think that's very clever of him. If a coach starts to praise players conspicuously, then conversely, he should also criticize them publicly. He doesn't do that either. He doesn't let anything get out of hand. And I don't think a player needs to be praised publicly either. What's important is that you feel the internal appreciation"

Josip Stanišić in @kicker interview with @FrankLinkesch

On how annoying it is to play two extra games in the play-offs: "It's certainly not annoying, we all like to play football. We have a good squad in which all players are needed. I was injured for five months, two additional games are good for me personally. In general, it's always better for footballers to stay in the rhythm, so two games are a higher burden, but not negative. There will be two exciting games against Celtic" Stanišić: "Of course we wanted to finish among the top 8 and win all 8 games. That didn't happen, but we didn't finish 23rd either. We don't have to put our heads in the sand"

Jamal Musiala in an end-of-year interview with @SPORTBILD

On his happiest moment in 2024: "When we advanced against Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Then when Phonzy scored in Madrid, which put us 1-0 ahead in the second leg of the semi-finals. And actually the entire Euros was a moment of happiness: every goal, every encounter with the fans. My goal in the opening match against Scotland, the win in the round of 16 against Denmark. I was happy until the Spain game"

[@cfbayern, @altobelli13] • Was the Quarterfinal exit against Spain your saddest moment of the year?

Musiala: "In fact, both the defeat against Spain and the last-minute elimination in the semi-final second leg of the Champions League in Madrid against Real were very tough. After the defeat against Spain, my head was empty. I hadn't expected that, everything was going well, the team's thoughts were very positive. Sometimes you can feel when a team is not in good form. Then a defeat doesn't hurt quite as much. But when it feels unfair, it hurts very much."