Heynckes eyes treble after European triumph

Posted Sunday, May 26, 2013 by Foxsports.com

Jupp Heynckes has challenged his Bayern Munich side to win the treble after they were crowned champions of Europe with a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.

Heading into Saturday's UEFA Champions League final having already won the Bundesliga this season, Bayern took the lead on the hour mark when Mario Mandzukic tapped home an Arjen Robben cross, only to be pegged back eight minutes later by a Ilkay Gundogan penalty, after Dante had crudely caught Marco Reus with a high challenge inside the area.

But with 90 seconds left on the clock, Robben exchanged a one-two with Franck Ribery and waltzed through the opposition defence before slotting the ball past the onrushing Roman Weidenfeller to hand the Bavarian outfit their fifth European Cup.

And with two pieces of silverware now to their name, Heynckes, who steps down as Bayern coach at the end of this term, is looking forward to making it a treble with victory over Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal final.

"What we've achieved so far this season - because it's not over yet, we still have the German Cup final next weekend - has been outstanding," he said on UEFA's official website.

"There's never been a Bundesliga team that's consistently played at such a high level, winning the championship by 25 points, breaking almost all records.

"I'm pleased on behalf of my club because this year we've accomplished we've accomplished something that's never happened in the Bundesliga in the same way. From the outset of the season, we've been changing, improving, adapting; we have a team spirit and an ability to work together that I've never experienced.

"We have 22 or 23 top-class professionals where all of them are capable of playing in the first team and they all pulled their weight. When you have such high-calibre players, that's pretty incredible and that's a hallmark of our success."

Heynckes admits Dortmund had looked the better of the two sides in the opening 45, but was pleased with how his charges fought back following the interval.

"In the beginning we didn't quite find our feet and compliments to Dortmund," he explained. "They pressed forward and we didn't find our rhythm.

"It was a difficult match for us but we had a couple of chances before halftime and after it we took command.

"We were more advanced and created more opportunities - and it's because of that second half that we earned the win."

Although Bayern have been one of Europe's dominant sides throughout the club's history, Saturday evening's victory was their first Champions League title since 2001 and the 68-year-old was pleased stalwarts like Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger did not go their entire careers without tasting European glory.

"Today [Saturday] my team were determined to win; look at the generation of Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger - the time had come to win something like this," Heynckes added.

"They've won a lot of caps [for Germany] and domestic trophies, but this was the first international competition. I'm really pleased for my team; afterwards I might be a more excitable, or relaxed - but I wasn't out there on the pitch.

"You do your job till kick-off and then it's up to the team. They had to take centre stage and do their job tonight [Saturday].

"Without top-class players like we have, you can't play the kind of football we have this season."

Heynckes also spoke of his delight that Robben emerged as the match-winner, especially after he missed a crucial penalty in last season's final defeat to Chelsea.