Bayern Munich
August 12, 2008As the reigning champions, the big question is how former German national coach Juergen Klinsmann will do in his first stint at the helm of a major international club. So what does he do first? Install statues of Buddha at Bayern's training facility -- that raised a few eyebrows in Munich.
Off the field, Bayern have decided to stand basically pat with the squad that won the Bundesliga in 2007-08. In doing so, they're making three key assumptions: 1) that striker Luca Toni and midfielder Franck Ribery repeat their excellent first seasons in Munich; 2) that young guns Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski, who've never impressed for Bayern, find the same form they showed at the European Championship; and 3) that keeper Michael Rensing proves an adequate replacement for Ollie Kahn, who's retired.
If that all comes to pass, things will be harmonious at "Buddha Munich." If not, Bayern will regret passing on the transfer market -- and Klinsmann's Munich tenure will be a short one.
Major arrivals: Tim Borowski, Hans-Joerg Butt
Major departures: Oliver Kahn, Jan Schlaudraff, Julio dos Santos